The XVirus
by Pika-Thunder
Summary: There is a virus created by Easter that is able to kill everyone. It starts out as a normal cold, but then evolves into a greater disease, leading to death. It is highly contagious, and anyone can easily be infected. Can the old and new guardians cure the X-Virus before it is too late? Rated T for language and later violence. A little romance.
1. I

**So, I am starting a new story, evidently. I have had this idea for a while now, but never had the chance to officially publish it. It all started with a role-play on a website I used to go on, but I haven't in months. Well, anyway, here goes! I hope you enjoy this new story, and I own nothing. **

"_Are you insane?!"A midnight blue-haired teenager exclaimed, shocked by what he just heard. "I thought you completed your plans for Easter?"Gozen looked at his stepson._

_ "My plans for Easter consisted of receiving the embryo for Hikaru. Aren't you a little delayed, Ikuto? A man by the name of Gravatus provided me with an offer that I could not resist, so Easter is no longer in my hands."_

_ "Why did you tie me up then?" Ikuto wondered, struggling to escape. "What significance am I to this new Easter?" _

_ "Tsukiyomi Ikuto, you are essential." A man with black hair and a long mustache entered the room. "My name is Kai Gravatus, the owner of Easter." Ikuto snarled. "Tsukiyomi, you are going to be the test subject for my goal." Ikuto's eyes widened. He knew exactly what this plan encompassed. Ikuto knew it could easily work. The only way it could be ceased was the guardians, and this could easily affect them too. Ikuto closed his eyes, thinking about everything he would lose. He would never discover the whereabouts of his father._

_ "It looks like you have a visitor." Gravatus informed him. Ikuto opened his eyes, and saw a familiar blonde in a fancy red dress. Her hair was in her usual pigtails, but they were curled at the bottom. Gravatus and Gozen left the room, giving them privacy._

_ "Utau, what are you doing here?" Ikuto wondered._

_ "I heard you were here, so I had to come." Utau walked towards her brother. "Sorry I was a little late; it was the wedding." Ikuto's eyes darkened, remembering it was Nikaidou and Yukari's wedding. _

_ "How was it?" Ikuto wondered._

_ "It was fine. They're going on their honeymoon tonight. They looked so happy…" Utau turned to Ikuto, and lowered her voice to a whisper. "What's up?"_

_ "Utau, what I'm going to tell you… You aren't supposed to know. After I explain everything, I need you to run, escape. You can't even warn the guardians." Ikuto whispered. Utau nodded slowly, as Ikuto explained everything, quietly. Utau's eyes widened._

_ "Ikuto…" Utau whispered, tears coming down her cheeks. "There has to be another way…"_

_ "There's nothing I can do." Ikuto replied. "I'm sorry Utau. You'll take care of yourself. Just tell me one thing: Did Amu dance at the wedding with Tadase?" Utau looked at the ground, and slowly nodded. "He better take care of her, make sure this doesn't happen to her. Utau, you need to leave now."_

_ "I can't leave you." Utau sobbed. "Ikuto, I can't…"_

_ "Utau, you have to. If you want to stay safe, you have to leave." _

_ "Ikuto, you're my brother… I-I'm not leaving you here to die!" Utau cried. "The guardians, they have to know! What if they get it…"_

_ "Utau, they're bright; they can catch on. Don't warn them. Just go." Ikuto warned. Gravatus and Gozen walked back in._

_ "You've been here enough, Hoshina Utau." Gozen announced._

_ "My name is Tsukiyomi Utau." Utau hissed angrily. "I refuse to go by the name of a bastard like you anymore!" Utau faced him. "If you dare touch him, I swear, I…"_

_ "Damn it, he told her!" Gravatus hissed. "Seize her!"_

_ "Well, well, you're the new owner, Gravatus." Utau said. "Your plans will fail. I know it. My brother will live. My boyfriend, and his friends, will cease your plans." Utau broke open a window, and jumped out._

_ "Fuck!" Gravatus hissed. He turned to Ikuto, holding a needle with a black substance. "Let the testing begin." He walked beside Ikuto, and injected him with the needle. Ikuto bellowed in pain. He soon passed out._

* * *

3 months later

It was a sunny Monday, signaling the first day of school. Amu Hinamori's eyes opened, as her alarm starting beeping vigorously that morning. Sighing, Amu turned it off, and began to prepare for her first day at Middle School. Since it was a new school, Amu felt extremely nervous. She showered, and got dressed. Since a new rule was passed, Amu was allowed to wear what she wanted, opposed to a school uniform. She looked through her wardrobe, and frantically looked for something to wear. Since she had gone to school every day wearing a uniform, it was hard to choose what to wear. What was appropriate?

"Miki!" Amu whined to her most fashionable chara.

"What is it, Amu-Chan?" Miki wondered.

"What do I wear?" Amu wondered. "It's still technically summer, so should I wear shorts? Are shorts appropriate? Or do I wear jeans? Or leggings?"

"Amu, calm down!" Miki exclaimed. Amu's three other charas sweat dropped. "Okay, so those black leggings are super cute! You should wear a long shirt to match. That long pink shirt matches!"

"Thanks Miki!" Amu changed into Miki's suggested outfit, and admired her outfit. She thought she looked pretty good, surprisingly. She ate a quick breakfast, and then left her house, walking to her Middle School. Her heart was beating swiftly.

"Hey Amu-Chan!" Amu turned, and smiled upon seeing her friend.

"Nagi! What's up?" Amu smiled.

"I'm pretty good." Nagihiko smiled. "I'm looking forward to sharing so many classes with you this year!"

"Yeah, we didn't have a class together in the two years at Seiyo!" Amu exclaimed. "This makes up for it." Nagihiko had told Amu about Nadeshiko.

"I'm sure Rima-Chan is less pleased to be sharing every class with me." Nagihiko said, sweat dropping.

"I still can't believe you two have _every_ class together." Amu exclaimed. "At least if one of you gets sick, you can collect the other's homework."

"That's convenient." Nagihiko agreed. "I'm happy to be with her, but I doubt she is, since she loves making a point to being mean to me." Amu sweat dropped.

"Yes, _she_ isn't pleased." Rima walked towards them, having left her mother's car.

"Are you excited Rima?" Amu wondered.

"About school, yes, I am happy to be attending a new school, although I loved Seiyo as well. About sharing every class with Nagi? Not so much." Nagihiko sweat dropped.

"I'm insulted, Rima-Chan." Nagihiko said, with false sincerity.

"Oh, go cry me a river." Rima smiled. She coughed slightly into her arm. Amu sweat dropped, observing their fighting. Throughout the summer, the three of them did things together, and Amu always found the two of them bickering about nothing. However, their fighting was never actually sincere, and Rima always appeared happier. Rima was always the type who was reluctant to showing her emotions, but lately, she was a lot happier. Amu was delighted to find out she was with them in most of her classes. Although it pained her that she had a lot less with Tadase, she was pleased to be with her two best friends.

The three of them entered the school. Students stared at them, three of the "coolest" students from Seiyo. Although Amu's heart was beating frantically, she kept a stoic face, with her hand on her hip.

"MASHIRO-SAN!" Fanboys of Rima surrounded the three of them, staring at Rima. "WE MISSED YOU SO MUCH."

"Can you excuse us? We are heading towards out lockers." Amu muttered, attempting to push through the crowd.

"I didn't miss any of you." Rima muttered. The boys gawked at Rima, as they separated to let the three of them through.

"Wow Rima-Chan, your fanboys are really loyal." Nagihiko teased.

"I wish they weren't! They're so annoying!" Rima whined, as the three of them got to their lockers. "I hate every single one of them." Amu noticed Nagihiko strangely smile at Rima's last comment. Rima coughed again, and started opening her locker, which was obviously on the bottom. Since the three of them had their fourth period class together, which was Advanced Science, all of their lockers were near each other. Nagihiko waited for Rima to open hers, since his was above hers. Amu's was near their lockers, but slightly farther. She opened it, having trouble.

"Do you need help Mashiro-San?" Hearing that certain voice, made Amu look up, excitedly.

"Yeah… Thanks Tadase." Tadase smiled, and opened her locker, using Rima's code. It opened with ease, as Rima put her afternoon books in. After she was done, Nagihiko went to his top locker above hers.

"Tadase-Kun! How are you?" Amu asked, blushing slightly. Tadase smiled at Amu, walking towards her. "It's been too long!"

"I know, it has been. I went away for the last two weeks before school started, so it's okay." Tadase hugged Amu, making her flinch. Nagihiko chuckled at Amu's reaction.

"H-How was your trip?" Amu asked.

"It was pretty fun! We went to Italy. I went to Italy once before, but that was with the Tsukiyomis…" Amu thought about the Tsukiyomis. It occurred to her that she hadn't seen Utau since the wedding, and Ikuto wasn't even there. When was the last time she saw Ikuto?

"Look who it is! Yay!" The four previous guardians looked up, and smiled at their upperclassman.

"Kukai!" Nagihiko exclaimed, smiling. Kukai grinned at his friend, as he ruffled Tadase's hair playfully.

"It's great to see you guys!" Kukai smiled. "I'm so happy you guys are here! We can all go to the same school again! I wish Yaya was here, but that's next year!" Kukai grinned, coughing slightly. The Middle School lasted for three years.

"Yeah, I missed attending the same school." Amu said, smiling.

"Me too!" Kukai whined. "I guess we better head to class. Don't get lost!" Kukai dashed off, quickly getting yelled at by teachers for running in the halls. The four of them sweat dropped.

"I'll see you three later." Tadase smiled, heading to his class. Amu, Nagihiko, and Rima headed to their first period class, which they all had together. It was Advanced Math, Amu's least favorite class. She had no idea how she even got into Advanced Math. Amu barely understood how she got into any advanced and honor class. Nagihiko was a genius, so it didn't shock her that he made it, and Rima and Tadase weren't a surprise either. The three of them took their seats beside each other, with Rima in the middle. It shocked Amu that Rima was willing to sit next to Nagihiko without a commotion. A familiar brunette sat in front of Rima, making her eyes widen. Since they had a few minutes before class started, the boy faced Rima.

"Hey, Mashiro-San." He said, smirking.

"K-Kirishima?!" Rima exclaimed, stunned.

"How are you doing, darling?" Kirishima wondered flirtatiously, pushing his hair back. Rima's face reddened.

"I-I'm fine. Why are you flirting with me?" Rima wondered, acting as nonchalant as possible.

"I still have feelings for you." Kirishima said, putting his hands on Rima's desk. Amu and Nagihiko watched the pair of them, surprised. "Want to go out tonight?" Rima's face was as red as an apple at this point. Fanboys stared, astonished at Rima's face expression.

"Class is going to begin soon." Nagihiko announced rudely to Kirishima. Nagihiko winked at Rima, who sighed a breath of relief. The teacher entered the room, and began the lesson.

For the rest of the day, they went through their schedule, and learned the rules of each class. Finally, they made their way to their lockers.

"Rima-Chan, I have a question." Nagihiko wondered. "Do you… like Kirishima?" Amu looked up, surprised at Nagihiko's curiosity.

"Huh? O-Of course not! I mean, I used to, but not anymore." Rima explained, her face reddening. Coughing into her arm, she grabbed her books, and closed her locker. Nagihiko sighed, closing his locker as well.

"Oh yeah, Yaya wanted us to visit her! Let's find Tadase-Kun and Kukai and go to the Royal Garden." Amu reminded them.

"Right… Yaya will be fine, since we eliminated Easter and there are very few X-Eggs." Rima pointed out. "I can't believe though that Yaya is in charge… I'm just glad to be in your grade, so Yaya wasn't in charge while I was there."

"You sure don't look like you're in our grade." Nagihiko said teasingly.

"Well, looks can be awfully deceiving, cross-dresser." Nagihiko glared at Rima. Rima batted her eyelashes at him. Amu sweat dropped.

"Ooh, burn Nagi!" Kukai walked over to them, and grinned. He attempted to ruffle Nagihiko's hair, but Nagihiko ducked out of the way to spite Kukai.

"I have plenty of comebacks." Nagihiko muttered. Tadase walked towards them as well, smiling.

"Let's go see the new guardians!" Tadase said smiling. "I wonder if Yuiki-San had luck finding a new King or Queen, or maybe even a Joker."

"I remember when I first met Rima and Kairi as the new Queen and Jack! Ah, you guys were so cute!" Kukai remembered, grinning immensely. Rima narrowed her eyes. The five of them began walking to the Royal Garden.

"GUYS!" Yaya screeched, as they got into the vicinity of the Royal Garden. She dashed towards them, and smiled.

"Yaya!" Kukai smiled. Kairi walked behind Yaya, not quite as exuberant.

"How was the first day for you?" Kairi asked politely.

"It was interesting, rotating between classes." Tadase explained. Amu remembered the last time she saw Kairi, and sweat dropped. She realized that she didn't have feelings for him anymore, since things have greatly increased between her and Tadase and her and Ikuto, although she didn't see Ikuto in months. She hoped he felt the same way.

"Are you glad to be the Jack again?" Rima wondered.

"I will admit, I greatly enjoyed being the role of the Jack. Although things are finished with Easter, I still find myself amused with the Student Council aspect of the guardians. It will be great doing it with Yuiki-San." Yaya grinned widely.

"Call me Yaya!" Yaya moaned. Kairi sweat dropped. "Ooh, guys! You have to see what Yaya and Kairi-Kun did with the Royal Garden! Come in!" The former guardians followed Yaya and Kairi into the Royal Garden. The five of them gasped at the changes. There was now a long couch with two love seats next to it, all of it surrounding a table. It now contained two computers and a television set.

"How did you afford this?" Nagihiko wondered.

"Tsukasa-Tan gave Yaya and Kairi-Kun money to renovate the Royal Garden!" Yaya explained. "It's so cool now! C'mon guys, take a seat!" The five of them sat down on the couch.

"Wow, you guys did great!" Kukai exclaimed.

"Thanks Kukai-Tan!" Yaya said. Kairi smiled as well. Kukai picked up the television remote, and flipped the channels, finally stopping at a channel playing soccer. The others sweat dropped.

"Well, well, aren't you guardians relaxed?" All eyes peered up, as a new figure entered the Royal Garden. Amu's eyes widened.

"U-Utau?!" Amu exclaimed.

"Utau Tsukiyomi. You have been gone for three freaking months, without any notice. Do you realize how worried I've been?!" Kukai exclaimed, standing up, and walking towards her. He coughed briefly, before extending his arms, and going to embrace her. Utau ducked out of the way, stunning Kukai.

"Sorry Kukai." Utau whispered. "I had to leave. There is something I need to inform you about. Something that is imminent. I did not have a chance to tell you before." Utau took a deep breath. "There is something called the X-Virus, that could potentially kill you."

**Yay for cliffhangers on the first chapter! I will update as soon as possible. Well, I own nothing, and please review/favorite/alert! Keep in mind, every little detail is important. **


	2. II

**New chapter time! I'll keep this author's note brief: I own nothing except for the X-Virus, and please enjoy!**

_"There is something called the X-Virus, that could potentially kill you."_

All seven pairs of eyes looked up at Utau in horror when she said that. Utau was staring coldly at the ground, making eye contact with no one.

"What…is the X-Virus exactly?" Amu wondered. Utau glanced at Amu, giving her a hard stare before answering. Utau sighed dramatically, preparing to explain.

"The X-Virus is a disease, created by X-Eggs that Easter is spreading around in order to achieve their new goal."

"Wait, Easter?!" Tadase exclaimed.

"I thought we defeated them?" Rima wondered.

"You defeated the Easter run by Gozen and Hikaru. However, Gozen sold Easter to a new man by the name of Gravatus. Look, I'll explain everything a lot simpler if you don't interrupt with questions." Everyone went silent. "Gravatus, wanting to achieve his goal, whatever the hell his goal is, had the genius idea of infecting people with a virus. In order to spread this virus, he used what the original Easter knew how to make best; X-Eggs. Using the energy from X-Eggs, he created a virus that infects the heart's egg. I don't know all of the details of the actual virus, but I do know it will act as a normal illness at first, with a fever and nausea, and then revert to death somehow." Utau sighed. "Anyone of you could have it, so that's why I didn't want to touch anyone." She looked at Kukai when she said that.

"When did the X-Virus begin getting sent? I would think people would notice if a virus went around." Nagihiko wondered.

"They started testing it three months ago." Utau muttered darkly, clenching her fists. "On their most valuable test subject. Damn Easter."

"Ikuto…" Realization came to Amu at once. Utau nodded grimly. "Is he okay?!"

"I have no idea." Utau whispered, a tremble in her voice. "I saw him three months ago, right before they infected him. That's when he explained everything to me. He told me to run, without even telling you. I obeyed, and waited three months before telling you guys." Utau was on the verge of crying.

"Hey Utau, you'd know if Ikuto was harmed in anyway. You'd find out. If you don't know anything, it probably means he's alive, at least!" Kukai grinned.

"What if he isn't?! What if it works, and does kill him?! What if…what if…" Kukai watched her, wishing he knew if he was healthy so he could hold her and comfort her. That was all he wanted to do; hold his girlfriend that he had not seen for months.

"Utau-Chan…are you sick yourself?" Tadase wondered.

"No…I'm healthy for now." Utau admitted, wiping her eyes. "Besides my brother, I don't know of anyone who is sick with it…Look, just be careful, all of you."

"Utau, just stay healthy yourself. We'll be fine. Be safe yourself." Kukai told her. Utau looked at him with watery eyes, uttering a tiny smile.

"You better, Souma…" Utau stood up. "I have to go. If Easter finds me, I'm screwed." Like that, Utau walked out of the Royal Garden, leaving the guardians with mixed expressions. No one said anything for a minute.

"Why don't we call it a day…?" Tadase suggested.

"AHEM Tada-Tan. Yaya is in charge now, so Yaya declares when guardian meetings are over." Yaya grinned, the only one with a positive expression. "Okay, ex-guardians and guardians are dismissed!"

* * *

Kairi started walking home, analyzing the events that occurred today. An X-Virus did indeed surprise him. He wondered what motivations would lead Easter to using a virus. It perplexed Kairi, and few things did that.

"Hey Sanjou-Kun." Kairi turned rapidly, facing a familiar purple-haired male. He smiled, catching up to him. Kairi pushed up his glasses, smiling slightly. He respected Nagihiko, even though they haven't really gotten to know each other too well.

"Hello Fujisaki-Kun." Kairi greeted. "I presume you walk home this way?" Nagihiko nodded.

"I used to walk this way every day from Seiyo…" Nagihiko reminisced. He sighed, and turned to Kairi. "What's your take on this X-Virus situation?"

"Tsukiyomi-San did not provide us with a great amount of data on this topic. We do know it can be lethal, but we do not know if there is a cure or something to cease it." Kairi analyzed.

"It would probably be wise for us to take note on someone if they get infected." Nagihiko suggested.

"I conquer."

"I know Yaya-Chan and you are the guardians now, but if this as serious as Utau-Chan is claiming, then we should all be involved." Kairi nodded.

"Yuiki-San, err Yaya-Chan, and I could doubtfully handle it by ourselves. Yaya-Chan can be easily…sidetracked." Nagihiko sweat dropped.

"She sure can be…" Nagihiko agreed.

"This is my sister's house, where I am staying, so I have to go. See you soon Fujisaki-Kun." Nagihiko waved as Kairi entered his house. When Kairi walked in, he put his bags on the couch, and called to his sister, telling her he was home.

"What is that noise?" Musashi wondered, as they heard a strange noise.

"I do not know…" Kairi admitted. He walked up the stairs, and went to where the noise was coming from. It came from a closed bathroom. "Yukari? Are you alright?"

"Not really, I don't feel so great. I sort of barfed into the toilet. It's really disgusting and a weird color…"

"I do not need to details." Kairi interrupted. "Yukari, you might be sick with the X-Virus…"

"The X-Virus?" Yukari opened the door to the bathroom, wiping her mouth with a toilette. "What's that?" Kairi explained the situation.

"Oh…shit…" Yukari coughed. "Ugh, my head hurts. I really hope I don't have that! Wait, you said Utau was there?!" Kairi nodded. "Man, I haven't seen her in ages. I miss her… Oh god Kairi, I don't want to be sick! I can't be sick!" To Kairi's surprise, Yukari was crying. He understood the situation was grave, but he didn't expect to see his sister crying. It made him worried.

"Yukari, you will be okay." Kairi promised. "My friends and I will try to cease the X-Virus." Yukari nodded slowly at her brother.

"I don't really know why I'm upset… I'm just tired I guess, and I don't really like knowing I have some death virus caused by Easter, a company I foolishly worked for. I'm going to get some rest, good night Kairi!" Just like that, Yukari left to go to sleep. Kairi sighed, worried sick about his sister.

* * *

The teacher droned on about the classroom expectations. It was fourth period, in Science. It was the period before lunch for most students in the class, so many students were zoning out, thinking about food. One of those students included Amu. However, she was more excited for the social aspect of lunch, and to be with Tadase in a class. Nagihiko was taking notes, despite the lesson being irrelevant. Rima watched Nagihiko, mocking him. Nagihiko felt her eyes on him, and rolled his eyes, winking. Rima blushed. Kirishima also kept giving Rima flirty glances. Rima was a little disturbed by Kirishima. Somehow, in the summer before school started, Kirishima changed drastically. Before, he was kind, and shyly asked Rima out. Now however, Kirishima was flirting with Rima in every class they had together. He gave her numerous compliments. If that wasn't strange enough, Nagihiko was always acting different around Rima as well.

Coughing into her arm, Rima decided to focus on the class, and took her eyes off of Nagihiko. Her head hurt her a little bit, but she ignored it.

"In the last few minutes of class, I have a few questions to ask you before we begin learning about science tomorrow. Does anyone know the formula for density?" How on earth would Rima know that? It wasn't like Nikaidou taught her any science. However, Nagihiko's hand shot up, the only one in the class. "Yes Fujisaki?"

"Density is equal to the mass of an object divided by its volume." Nagihiko answered.

"Correct. Good job Fujisaki." Nagihiko smiled slightly. The bell rang, signaling the end of class. The students rushed out of the class, excited for lunch. However for Rima, the thought of lunch seemed nauseating. She had no appetite. Even when she woke up this morning, she skipped breakfast. Rima waited for Amu and Nagihiko before leaving the class.

"Lunch was so much fun yesterday! I love buying the foods! The food is really good at this school!" Amu exclaimed, dropping her cool and spicy attitude.

"It is? I'll try buying lunch at some point." Nagihiko said. They went to their lockers. Nagihiko allowed Rima to go before him. She opened her locker, and got her afternoon books. After she finished, she walked beside Amu.

"Amu, let's go." Rima said.

"Wait Rima, we have to wait for Nagi!" Amu pointed out.

"He's annoying." Rima blabbered.

"Thanks Rima-Chan!" Nagihiko said, smiling sarcastically. He got his books, and followed the girls to the cafeteria. The three of them sat down at their lunch table. Tadase was already there. He smiled, as they took their seats. Amu and Nagihiko sat next to each other, with Tadase and Rima across from them.

"Amu-Chan, should we get our lunch?" Tadase offered. Amu nodded, following Tadase onto the lunch line. Rima and Nagihiko stayed, both having brought lunch.

"You should buy lunch Nagi!" Rima suggested.

"Why? So it's not the two of us?" Nagihiko wondered, smirking.

"Exactly." Rima smiled.

"I wouldn't want to leave you alone, Rima-Chan. Those fanboys are giving you stares. I intimidate them." Rima shot him a glare.

"You aren't much better than them. You do follow me around like you're one of them." Rima pointed out. To Rima's surprise, Nagihiko was blushing.

"I don't stalk you, or bow down to you. I'm not madly obsessed with you, like they are." Nagihiko pointed out. For some reason, Rima felt her heart churn.

"Hey Mashiro-San, want to sit with me, doll?" Both of them looked up, facing Kirishima. Kirishima brushed back Rima's hair. Rima turned dark red.

"Kirishima-Kun, you know we're not allowed to change seats." Nagihiko pointed out. "Rima-Chan would also probably feel awkward sitting with your friends."

"Why doesn't Mashiro-San answer herself?" Kirishima wondered, turning to Rima. Rima looked at him. "There's always room for you beside me, darling."

"Darling?" Rima wondered, feeling uncomfortable. "Kirishima, I-I'm happy with Nagi, b-but thanks for the offer." She faltered. Kirishima scowled.

"Call me Fuyuki." Kirishima grunted, walking away. Rima was shaking slightly. Why did she always call him Kirishima and called Nagihiko Nagi? She was closer friends with Nagihiko than Kirishima, but she always argued with Nagihiko, although it was never sincere. She looked at Nagihiko, who was smirking inwardly.

"I see you are content with sitting with me. How sweet." Nagihiko chuckled, making Rima's face redden even more.

"Nagi, what's your problem with Kirishima? You always seem like you have an attitude with him, but you guys were friends." Rima wondered.

"Kirishima-Kun has changed a lot since elementary school. I don't like the person he became now." Nagihiko explained. He bit his lip. "I don't really like the way he treats you either."

"He's just flirting with me. I'm used to it from the fanboys." Rima said, surprised by Nagihiko's reasoning.

"Your other fanboys don't really flirt with you; they just stalk you. Kirishima-Kun calls you nicknames that evidently make you uncomfortable. You always seem flustered around him as well."

"I-I am not! I have no feelings for Kirishima!" Rima exclaimed, for some reason, having the strong need to make certain to Nagihiko about her feelings for Kirishima. "I like someone else." Rima surprised herself by saying that. Nagihiko dropped his fork he was using to eat rice.

"W-Who do you like?" Nagihiko wondered.

"N-No one." Rima admitted. "I-I just, um, said it. I don't know why. I-I just…"

"Rima-Chan, you're bluffing." Nagihiko observed.

"I…It's none of your business!" Rima snapped. They both went silent. Rima knew exactly who she meant. However, Nagihiko was the last person she wanted to tell. Rima stared at his long purple hair, and sighed. She knew she had liked him for a while now. Spending the entire summer with Amu and him had confirmed it. They always argued, but Rima knew it was her distant way of flirting.

Rima looked at her sandwich, and sighed. She hadn't taken one bite of it. It was peanut butter and jelly, her favorite. At her old school before Seiyo, her parents had made the sandwich together, her father putting on the peanut butter and her mother the jelly. It brought Rima warm memories of when her parents loved each other. That was prior to the kidnapping. Rima lifted the sandwich to her lips, and bit it. As she bit it, a wave of nausea passed through her. She really felt like she was going to be sick.

"Are you okay?" Nagihiko wondered. "You look really pale."

"I'm fine." Rima murmured, lying.

"Do you feel alright?" Nagihiko asked, knowing she was lying. Rima sighed, knowing Nagihiko wouldn't believe any of her lies.

"No…I feel nauseous." Rima admitted dryly.

"You might have a fever." A worried expression crossed Nagihiko's face. Rima's eyes widened, knowing exactly what Nagihiko was thinking.

"Oh no…" Rima whimpered.

"Rima-Chan, you'll be okay." Nagihiko promised, but Rima didn't believe him. She remembered what Utau said, about death.

"Nagi, what if I die?" Rima whispered.

"Rima-Chan, we don't even know for sure if you are infected. You could just have a stomach virus." Nagihiko tried to reassure.

"I'm not doubting it's a virus, but it's not from the stomach." Rima muttered. Nagihiko sighed.

"I'd feel your forehead to check if it was warm, but I don't want to run the risks of catching it." A smirk crossed Nagihiko's face. "Come with me for a second." Rima nodded, following Nagihiko. To her surprise, he led her to Kirishima's table.

"What are you doing?!" Rima exclaimed, shocked. Nagihiko walked over to Kirishima.

"Hey Kirishima-Kun, Rima-Chan appears to be looking sick. Could you make sure she doesn't have a fever?"

"Of course!" Kirishima exclaimed, blushing a little as he placed his hand on Rima's forehead. Rima glared at Nagihiko the whole time Kirishima left his hand on her forehead. "It does feel warm."

"I'm going to take you to the nurse." Nagihiko said to Rima.

"Fujisaki-Kun, I would prefer to take her." Kirishima announced.

"Kirishima, it's not a huge deal who takes her. She feels sick, so I'm just going to take her now." Nagihiko informed him, leading Rima away. Kirishima scowled.

"Why couldn't Kirishima take me?" Rima wondered.

"Would you prefer to have him take you?" Nagihiko wondered, looking at Rima. Rima noticed his expression was slightly hurt. Rima started blushing.

"N-No, I'd take you over him any day." Rima admitted. Nagihiko smiled at that response. Rima soon realized something. Perhaps her feelings for Nagihiko were reciprocated. Was the real reason Nagihiko had an attitude to Kirishima because of jealousy? The thought shocked Rima, but it made sense. A small smile spread on her cheeks, despite feeling pretty sick. They walked over to a lunch attendant.

"Excuse me, Rima-Chan is feeling sick; could I take her to the nurse?" Nagihiko asked politely.

"Of course. I hope you feel better." The attendant said, smiling at Rima. Rima thanked him, and followed Nagihiko to the nurse's office. Before they left, they explained where they were going to Amu and Tadase who had just gotten off the lunch line.

"Hey Nagi, where is the nurse's office?" Rima wondered.

"It's by the main office I believe." Nagihiko told her. It turned out he was right. They went inside the nurse's office. Nagihiko explained Rima's symptoms to the nurse.

"I will check if she has a fever." The nurse said, placing a thermometer in Rima's mouth. As Rima had the thermometer in her mouth, she felt Nagihiko's worried eyes on her. She glanced back at him, smiling kindly, which was rare for her to direct at him, especially when she was sick. Without a sign of surprise, Nagihiko smiled back. The thermometer beeped, as the nurse removed it from her mouth.

"What is it?" Rima wondered.

"You have a 104.7 fever. That's a really high fever. Is your mother or father able to pick you up?" Rima nodded slowly, telling the nurse her phone number. She felt terrible. The nurse turned to Nagihiko. "Thank you for bringing her here. You can return to lunch." Nagihiko nodded, and turned to Rima.

"Feel better Rima-Chan." Nagihiko told her. "I'll visit you soon." Rima blushed slightly, nodding slowly. He left the nurse's office. Rima felt more nauseous.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom." Rima told the nurse weakly. The nurse nodded, pointing to the bathroom. She was still on the phone. Rima went to the bathroom in the nurse's office, and threw up. She felt awful. It didn't help knowing that it was probably caused by the X-Virus. She walked out of the bathroom, and waited for her parent to pick her up.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Nagihiko sat in all of his classes, and thought about Rima. Having to share every class with her, it was hard to not notice her absence. He hoped she was okay, and he especially hoped it wasn't the X-Virus. He knew though that it was doubtful it wasn't related to that.

"She'll be okay." Temari tried to reassure. Nagihiko nodded, but he couldn't take her out of his mind. When the bell rang, Nagihiko went to his locker. He didn't have to wait for Rima to go before him to her locker underneath his. He opened his locker, and took out the books necessary to go home with.

"Hey Nagi, how is she?" Amu wondered, catching up to him.

"She looked pretty ill." Nagihiko admitted. "She had a really high fever, just below 105."

"Wow that is high!" Amu exclaimed. "We should warn the others." Nagihiko nodded. Tadase walked over to them.

"Should we go tell Yuiki-San and Sanjou-Kun about Mashiro-San?" Tadase wondered. Nagihiko and Amu nodded. Tadase coughed.

"Tadase-Kun, are you alright? You were coughing on the lunch line and all through lunch." Amu pointed out.

"I feel fine actually. I have been coughing all day though." Tadase remembered.

"Come to think of it, Rima-Chan was coughing a lot yesterday." Nagihiko recalled. "She's only one person, so it's a little hard to tell if that means anything. Kukai was coughing yesterday as well…" As if on cue, Kukai walked over to them. Normally, Kukai always looked cool and casual, but he looked terrible now.

"Hey, I think I'm going to skip seeing Yaya and Kairi today. I don't feel one hundred percent." Kukai announced. "Where's Rima?" The three of them looked at each other.

"Rima-Chan went home sick as well…" Nagihiko pointed out. "Kukai, what do you feel currently?"

"Like crap." Kukai muttered.

"I mean, what symptoms? Fever? Nausea?"

"Yup, all of that. My head hurts too. Oh shit." Kukai's eyes widened. "Do I have the X-Virus?!"

"We don't know for sure." Amu admitted. "It's okay Kukai, you should go home and rest." Kukai nodded slowly, and left. Nagihiko took out a pad of paper, and started scribbling notes.

"What are you doing?" Tadase wondered.

"I'm writing down the current observations from the possible X-Virus." Nagihiko explained. "It would probably help us stop it if we knew how to identify it." He finished writing. "Let's go to Seiyo." The three of them walked to Seiyo.

As they arrived at the Royal Garden, they saw Yaya leaning on Kairi, and Utau sitting on the couch, watching them.

"Utau-Chan, I thought you said you needed to be careful?" Tadase wondered.

"I did, and I still do. However, I'm hanging around here." Utau looked around. "Where's Kukai?"

"Sick." Amu admitted. "Rima is too."

"What?!" Yaya exclaimed. "Oh no! Not Kukai-Tan and Rima-Tan! Do they have the scary X-Virus?!"

"We don't know for sure, but I did observe they were both coughing a lot yesterday." Nagihiko explained. "It appears that the X-Virus begins with coughing, and then with symptoms like nausea and a fever." On that note, Tadase coughed.

"Hotori-San, did you have any contact with Mashiro-San or Souma-San yesterday?" Kairi asked.

"I did help Mashiro-San open her locker." Tadase remembered. "Souma-Kun was also ruffling my hair."

"It must start becoming contagious through the coughing phase." Utau pondered.

"The coughing phase?" Amu wondered.

"The first part. I guess that's what we can call it." Utau shrugged.

"We can test the theory if Kirishima-Kun starts coughing tomorrow." Nagihiko said, smirking.

"Eh? Why Kirishima-Kun?" Amu wondered.

"I may have used him to check if Rima-Chan had a fever. He also was touching Rima non-stop." Nagihiko said, saying the second part with an annoyed attitude. Everyone sweat dropped.

"Did you want him to get sick?" Utau wondered.

"Why not? He annoys Rima-Chan." Nagihiko pointed out. "He constantly flirts with her."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had a crush on her." Utau muttered. Nagihiko blushed, but didn't deny it.

"Eh?! Nagi doesn't have a crush on Rima!" Amu exclaimed.

"I, um, actually do…" Nagihiko admitted quietly. Only Kairi and Utau heard him. Kairi gave him a small smile and Utau smiled as well. Nagihiko looked at Utau, surprised.

"Well, we should work on curing it." Utau pointed out.

"We can't be hasty Tsukiyomi-San; Mashiro-San and Souma-San have only been infected for two days. I do believe my sister has the X-Virus as well." Everyone looked at Kairi, surprised.

"Sanjou-San!" Utau exclaimed.

"Oh no!" Yaya whined. "Let's try to not let anyone else get sick!"

"Yaya-Chan that is easier said than done." Kairi pointed out.

"Besides, I think I'm already on the bad track…" Tadase sighed. "I guess I'll see tomorrow." He coughed again. Amu gave him a worried glance.

"Amu, your other boyfriend is in much worse shape than Tadase!" Utau snapped angrily. Amu looked at the ground. There was a silence.

"Yaya wants candy." Yaya whined.

"Yaya-Chan, now's not exactly the ideal time…" Nagihiko said, sweat dropping.

"I suppose we will find out tomorrow. Yuiki-San, is the guardian meeting over?" Tadase said, narrowing his eyes at Yaya.

"Yes it is Tada-Tan! Good job; you learned!" Yaya grinned, putting her thumbs up.

"How dare you order us around, commoner!" Kiseki hissed. Yaya stuck her tongue at Kiseki, making him angrier. Everyone sweat dropped, and left the Royal Garden.

Nagihiko walked home with Kairi again. Rhythm spoke to Musashi about being more athletic, and Temari tried to calm him down.

"So…you have feelings for Mashiro-San?" Nagihiko blushed, and slowly nodded.

"Yeah… I have for a while now. Kirishima-Kun, a boy in a lot of our classes, tends to flirt with her a lot, and it always makes me envious, as foolish as it sounds." Kairi nodded.

"I know how you feel. However, judging by her reactions when she is around you and from being close to her, I believe she likes you back." Nagihiko nodded slowly.

"I have gotten that feeling, but at other times, I just don't really know. She always gets embarrassed around Kirishima, and it hurts me each time. I just…don't know if she sees me in a romantic sense." Nagihiko sighed. "Do you like anyone Sanjou-Kun?"

"I presume you knew I once liked Amu?" Nagihiko nodded. "I do not anymore. Instead, I have feelings for Yaya-Chan."

"Really? I could see you two together. Yaya-Chan sure could use someone a lot calmer." They both laughed slightly.

"The only problem is Yaya-Chan has a crush on some kid in her grade, and she will not stop talking about him to me." Kairi admitted.

"I'm sure you can make Yaya-Chan fall in love with you." Nagihiko reassured.

"Thank you." Kairi smiled. They arrived at Kairi's house. "I will see you tomorrow, Fujisaki-Kun."

"Call me Nagihiko." Nagihiko smiled.

"I will try to…Nagihiko." Kairi smiled. Nagihiko smiled back.

"See you tomorrow Kairi." Nagihiko waved, heading to his house.

**I hope you enjoyed! I will do more with the romances later, don't worry! Please review/favorite/alert! That's my fuel. **


	3. III

**Sorry about the delay before updating this! Anyway, I own nothing, and enjoy.**

"WE LOVE YOU NAGI!" Fangirls screamed in the hallway. Nagihiko sighed, opening his locker. He had two types of fangirls now; old fans and new fans. Both were equally annoying. It bothered Nagihiko how the fangirls only loved him because he was attractive. He wanted to be with someone who saw him for who he really was. Rima did just that.

Thinking about his ill crush made him worry about her more. He wondered how she was feeling today. He decided he would call her later to check on her.

"Hey Nagi!" Nagihiko looked up, and smiled, seeing Amu.

"Hey Amu-Chan, how are you today?" Nagihiko wondered.

"I'm good… I spoke to Rima by the way. She said, well, her exact wording to the question how are you feeling was absolutely dreadful." Nagihiko looked at the ground.

"I hope she feels better… Did you have a chance to speak to Kukai?" Nagihiko wondered.

"No… However, he probably isn't any better." Amu said.

"Hey guys." Both looked up, seeing the familiar blonde.

"Tadase-Kun!" Amu exclaimed, jumping up. "How are you?" Tadase looked at the ground.

"It surprisingly isn't awful today. I have a headache and still coughing, but really that's it." Tadase admitted.

"That's a relief, at least. Maybe you should take some medicine Tadase-Kun. Maybe some Advil or something?" Tadase smiled at Amu's concern.

"I will, don't worry." Tadase told her. They exchanged a smile, finding Nagihiko missing Rima more, since she would usually have some snide comment.

"I'm glad to see you're doing alright Hotori-San." Nagihiko said. Tadase smiled at Nagihiko. "However, we should still keep our distance. Let's head to class, Amu-Chan." Amu nodded, giving Tadase a final wave. Tadase's fangirls glared at her.

Nagihiko shoved through the crowd of fangirls, with Amu behind him. They walked into their first period class, and sat in their respective seats. There was a gap between Amu and Nagihiko, where Rima usually sat.

"How is Rima doing?!" Kirishima wondered, facing Amu.

"Oh, um, she's still sick." Amu told him.

"Poor thing… hey, do you have her cell phone number? I'd text her." Kirishima coughed slightly, making Nagihiko have to bit his lip to keep from laughing. He knew it was mean what he did to Kirishima, but Nagihiko didn't like the way he treated Rima and he needed someone to check if she was sick.

"Sorry Kirishima-Kun, I don't know her phone number off hand." Nagihiko told him.

"You have her cell phone number?!" Envy was apparent on Kirishima's face. It made Nagihiko want to laugh even harder. It was so ironic, since Kirishima wanted it for romantic reasons, and Nagihiko liked her too, but he didn't have her number for that reason.

"Yup. We are close friends." Nagihiko pointed out. Kirishima scowled. The bell rang, making all of the students take their seats.

* * *

"Who knows the answer to number five?" The teacher asked. No one in the class had any idea, except for one person who hated school the most. "Yes Yuiki-San?" Yaya stood up dramatically, making everyone stare at her. Her sensei, Nikaidou, sweat dropped.

"Nikai-Tan, the answer is 42!" Yaya grinned.

"Good job Yuiki-San. Would you like to explain to the class how you got that? And since you love standing so much, why don't you come to the Smart Board?" Yaya giggled, and ran forward. Since the equation was already written on the board, Yaya picked up one of the smart board pens, and started writing. The equation was: (10 x 8) - 6 / 3 – 6^2.

"So, first, you start with parenthesis, since you go by the rules of PEMDAS!" Yaya put her thumbs up. "So, you get 80! Then, you look for exponents, so you get 36! Then, you divide six by three, to get two! Then, you subtract 2 from 80 to get 78! Lastly, you subtract 36 from 78 and get the answer, 42!"

"Wow Yuiki-San! Great job!" Nikaidou exclaimed.

"Thank you, Nikai-Tan!" Yaya curtsied, and went to her seat. Students stared at Yaya in awe. Since when was she so smart?

"Great job Yaya-Chan." A boy in her class, Lucas, whispered.

"Thanks Lucas-Tan!" Yaya exclaimed grinning. Yaya found Lucas really cute. She always acted like she had a crush on him, which she might have, if she didn't like someone else; the one person whom she rants to Lucas about daily to make jealous. Lucas gave her a smile, and then coughed into his arm.

Finally, class was over. Nikaidou had called Yaya over to talk to him. Yaya waved to the students that were leaving, and walked to Nikaidou's desk.

"What is it Nikai-Tan?" Yaya wondered.

"Yuiki-San, maybe you should just call me Nikaidou-Sensei, like everyone else?" Nikaidou wondered.

"Nah." Nikaidou sweat dropped, knowing he wouldn't convince her.

"Yuu, you said you wanted to meet here?" Yaya's insides churned, hearing the sound of her real crush. Kairi walked in, giving Yaya a small smile. Yaya's face turned red.

"HEY KAIRI-KUN! HOW WAS CLASS?" Yaya wondered.

"It was fine, I suppose. We have not done much. However, it seems I have acquired fangirls…" Yaya scowled in disapproval. Kairi can't have fangirls; only Yaya! "Why did you want to see us, Yuu?"

"It's about the X-Virus."

"Wah, something serious." Yaya grumbled. Kairi narrowed his eyes at her.

"Look, I have been sleeping in the same bed as Yukari, and she appears to have the X-Virus."

"WAY too much information…" Yaya muttered.

"Yuiki-San, please quiet down." Kairi hissed.

"CALL ME YAYA!" Yaya bellowed to Kairi. He sweat dropped.

"Anyway, why haven't I caught it?" Nikaidou wondered.

"Have you been keeping away from her, like sleeping on the far other side of the bed? It is a little risky for us to be living with someone with the X-Virus, which is why I have been keeping distance from her." Kairi pushed his glasses up. Yaya always found it sort of hot when he did that.

"I have been careful too, but it's hard. You know Yukari, always wanting to lean on someone, which she has done quite often. I mean, according to Utau, I should have started coughing today, but I haven't… Alright, I won't keep you guys anymore. See you later Kairi, and you tomorrow, Yuiki-San!" Yaya waved, and followed Kairi out of the classroom.

"Kairi-Kun!~ Yaya wants a piggyback ride!" Yaya whined. "Please?" She noticed Kairi looking at the ground, looking a little upset. "You okay Kairi-Kun?" Yaya wondered, cocking her head.

"Yeah, I am fine. I suppose I am just worried about my sister. I also hope Mashiro-San and Souma-Kun are alright. Hotori-San too, since he was coughing. I guess I am just absorbing everything." Yaya put her hand on Kairi's shoulder. Kairi looked up, surprised.

"Everyone will be okay!" Yaya promised. "Because, we will save them! Kairi-Kun, you are a genius; you will cure the X-Virus! With Yaya, of course!" Kairi looked at Yaya for a second.

"Why do you always refer to me with a normal honorific, opposed to everyone else?" Kairi asked.

"Yaya doesn't know." Yaya said too quickly. She giggled nervously. "Let's go to the Royal Garden!" The truth was, Yaya was actually shyer around Kairi, and felt nervous referring to him with "-tan."

"Do you, um, want your piggyback ride?" Kairi wondered.

"YES!" Yaya grinned immensely, climbing onto Kairi's back. Yaya, however, wasn't exactly shy in front of him, but just a tad more with Kairi. Yaya was blushing a lot, as she wrapped her arms around Kairi's shoulders. They arrived at the Royal Garden.

"What took you guys?" Utau wondered. Only Amu and Nagihiko were there with her. Nagihiko was finishing up a phone call.

"Sorry everybody! Nikai-Tan was keeping us!" Yaya jumped off of Kairi's back, and twirled around. "MAY THE GUARDIAN MEETING COMMENCE!"

"Wow, you used a large word." Utau muttered.

"Yup! Yaya also answered a PEMDAS question in math class today! Nikai-Tan was impressed!" Yaya grinned, smirking at Kairi.

"You really call your teacher Nikai-Tan…?" Utau just sighed. Yaya looked at Nagihiko.

"HEY NAGI-TAN! WHO WAS ON THE PHONE? YOUR GIRLFRIEND?!" To Yaya's surprise, Nagihiko turned a shade of red.

"I don't have a girlfriend Yaya-Chan…" Nagihiko pointed out. "I was on the phone with Rima-Chan. She isn't doing so great…"

"Tadase-Kun also left early today. He was fine in the morning, but in gym today, Tadase-Kun left." Amu explained.

"There were a lot of coughing students in my class today." Kairi observed. "Even my sensei appeared to be coughing."

"LUCAS-TAN WAS COUGHING!" Yaya exclaimed. Kairi narrowed his eyes, looking uninterested.

"Who's Lucas?" Utau wondered.

"A hot guy in Yaya's class!" Yaya explained. "He's on the swim team. Ahh, he looks so attractive shirtless." Everyone just stared at Yaya.

"So, Yaya, you have a crush?" Amu wondered, an eyebrow cocked.

"…YEAH!" Yaya lied. "Like Rima-Tan and Kirishima-Tan!"

"Yaya-Chan, you do realize Rima-Chan doesn't have a crush on Kirishima…" Nagihiko pointed out. "She has told me numerous times."

"Exactly." Yaya whispered. No one heard Yaya except for Nagihiko. His eyes widened.

"So, anyway… On the topic of sick lovers, I was on the phone with Kukai before. Basically, he's in the same boat as Rima."

"OOH, ARE THEY GOING TO SAIL THE PACIFIC OCEAN?!" No one laughed at Yaya's humor.

"Very funny Yaya-Chan." Kairi muttered. Nagihiko scribbled into his notebook.

"What are you writing?" Utau wondered.

"What they were feeling today. It seems each day, there are new symptoms. Although Rima-Chan didn't seem to describe any new symptoms today."

"Hey Nagi-Tan, are you in love with Rima-Tan? Everything you said upon arriving here had to do with Rima-Tan." Yaya observed, smirking evilly.

"You have been mentioning her all day." Amu pointed out.

"Well, she's sick. I have a right to be worried about her." Nagihiko muttered.

"Yeah, but Kukai is one of your best friends. It's just Rima this, and Rima that. Come to think of it, you did get Kirishima sick, and you are sort of rude to him." Nagihiko was blushing now. Normally, Nagihiko was very good at keeping things to himself, however, he couldn't deny it any longer.

"Fine." Nagihiko looked at the ground, flustered. "I may have feelings for Rima-Chan."

"DAWW THAT'S SO CUTE!" Yaya exclaimed, hugging Nagihiko. Nagihiko sighed, but hugged her anyway.

"If you two had been paying attention yesterday, he admitted it then." Utau pointed out, her arms crossed.

"You guys could be so cute together! I always thought there might be something more than just your normal bickering and teasing."

"Comes from the girl who denied Nagihiko liking her yesterday." Utau muttered.

"Utau! Stop being mean!" Amu whined. Utau simply smirked.

"I should get going. Yukari is not feeling great, as I previously mentioned, and Yuu will not be getting home for a while."

"If Kairi-Kun's leaving, then everyone will leave!" Yaya announced. "Guardians, ex-guardians, and Tsukiyomis…DISMISSED!" Everyone left the Royal Garden. Nagihiko and Kairi started walking home together.

"I have a question about the X-Virus." Nagihiko looked up curiously. "If the X-Virus infects the Heart's Egg, what could possibly happen to the chara?"

"That's a good thought." Nagihiko thought for a second. "Hotori-San still had Kiseki this morning, and Rima-Chan didn't mention losing Kusu-Kusu. However, neither of them are very far along in the process. It could affect them later on perhaps?" Kairi nodded slowly.

"See you later, Nagihiko." Kairi waved, and walked towards his house. Upon entering, he heard wails from the bathroom. Kairi raced towards the bathroom.

"Yukari?!" Kairi exclaimed. "Are you okay?!"

"Y-Yeah!" It was a lie.

"Yukari… What's wrong?" Kairi asked, concern taking over. Yukari stepped out of the bathroom. Her face was pale.

"Kairi…" She whispered. "I don't have the X-Virus." Kairi looked at her, surprised.

"What do you mean? The symptoms mirror exactly what Mashiro-San and Souma-Kun are feeling. It is identical-"

"Kairi." Tears were running down Yukari's face. "I'm pregnant."

**One of my guest reviewers last chapter said they thought Yukari might be pregnant, but thought they were mistaken. Well, your initial guess was right. Please review/favorite/alert! If anyone has ever read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you'll see the reference I made. **


	4. IV

**I apologize for my late update. All writers are familiar with the curse of a writer known as Writer's Block. Also, with school started now and everything, updates are harder. Anyway, I own nothing, and I hope you enjoy!**

"_Kairi… I'm pregnant."_

Kairi did not know what to say in response to finding out his sister was pregnant. Tears flowed down her cheeks, like a waterfall meeting a lake. Yukari sniffled. Her eyes were watery, causing her glasses to fog up. He watched his older sister sob, unsure of how to comfort her. The door opened suddenly, revealing Yuu and Utau. Yukari quickly wiped her eyes, and gave Utau a large grin.

"Utau!" Yukari exclaimed, running over to embrace her friend she had not seen in months.

"Yukari!" Utau exclaimed, sidestepping. Yukari halted, surprised Utau moved out of her way. "You have the X-Virus; I can't afford to catch it from you. How are you feeling with that by the way?" Yukari nervously glanced at Kairi. Kairi was surprised. He was the first one Yukari told about the unborn fetus? Even before the father?

"Oh…about that…" Yukari looked at the ground awkwardly. Suddenly, tears poured out of her eyes again.

"Yukari! What happened?" Yuu wondered, nervously glancing at his wife. Yukari's words were inaudible, due to the sudden amount of tears.

"Kairi…do you know?" Utau wondered, looking up at him. Kairi nodded slowly, unsure if he should tell them. Nerves tingled through his body.

"Kairi…please tell them for me…" Yukari whispered, shaking slightly. Nervously, Kairi looked at the ground.

"Y-Yukari is pregnant…" Kairi faltered. Yuu's eyes widened, looking absolutely shocked. Utau glanced at Yuu and Yukari, looking back and forth. Kairi was not sure if Yukari and Yuu were ready to raise a child. They had just recently gotten married. Both could be awfully frazzled at times. Yukari often instructed Yuu to do all of the work, and she simply sat around doing nothing. Even when Yuu did the work, he was extremely klutzy, so he tended to mess things up at times. The one thought that appalled Kairi the most was being an uncle. Kairi had no understanding of children in the slightest, the closest thing being friends with Yaya. Maybe Yuu was ready, since he was a teacher, and Yukari had taken care of Kairi as a child since their parents worked.

"That's…unexpected." Yuu whispered, breaking the silence. He looked at Yukari, a small smile appearing on his face. "We always said we wanted a child, so I guess he or she will come earlier than expected, hm?" Yukari looked up at her husband.

"I…guess." Yukari took off her glasses, and wiped them. Yukari walked towards her husband, and they embraced. Kairi watched them, a small smile on his face.

"How long have you been pregnant?" Yuu wondered.

"I don't know, come to think of it. Lately, I've been feeling nauseous. I thought it was from that virus thing, but I guess it's from a baby." Yukari thought for a second. "Hey Yuu, remember that morning on our honeymoon that I was puking all over the place? Does that mean I've been pregnant for three months already without knowing it?!" Yukari's eyes widened.

"Oh geez…" Yuu laughed nervously. "Heh…um…well…" Yukari let go of Yuu, and both just looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

"Kairi, let's go upstairs. They need privacy. I mean, they just found out that they're having a child." Utau told Kairi. Kairi nodded, following Utau up the stairs. They walked into a room, and closed the door. "I'm happy for them."

"Me too, but do you think they are ready for the challenges that lie ahead of them?" Kairi wondered. "I admit, I know nothing of caring for a child, but I know my sister only knows how to take care of me as a child, and having her own child seems challenging for her."

"I don't know if they're ready, but I guess they have six months to prepare." Utau muttered d. "Besides, Yuu is a teacher, so he's used to children."

"I suppose you are correct…" Kairi looked at the ground.

"It scares you, doesn't it? Your sister is having a child, and you don't know if she's prepared." Kairi nodded slowly. "I remember when I found out that my brother was in love with Amu. It scared me, since I wasn't sure if he was ready for love. It turned out he was fine. My point being, since we are both younger siblings, just let our elder sibling handle life. They'll be fine." Kairi nodded slowly.

"Yeah…" Was all he could utter. It was hard to process the fact that his sister was pregnant. The whole idea seemed so weird to him.

"See you later Kairi." Utau stood up, and walked out of his room. Kairi looked at the ground, and allowed everything to sink in.

* * *

"Hinamori Amu, would you like to answer the question?" Amu's eyes flapped open, as the world suddenly appeared in front of her. It was ninth period, in Health class. It was obviously the most boring class in the whole day, and it only made ninth period seem even longer. The whole entire class was watching her. Amu's face flushed, realizing she had fallen asleep. She might have not gotten caught, if a lot of the class had not been sick from the X-Virus, supposedly.

"Why should I answer? I don't know the question." Amu muttered, her cool and spicy kicking in. Unlike the reaction at Seiyo Academy, students rolled their eyes at Amu, no one admiring how cool she was.

"Your attitude is disgusting. You better improve that attitude by next time we meet, or else you will be given detention. Also, do not fall asleep in my class." Amu's teacher scolded.

"I-I'm sorry Sensei…" Amu murmured.

"Does anyone else who was awake know the answer?" A hand in the back rose about half way, standing out in the class as the only one with the raised hand. "Yes Fujisaki-San?"

"A male fetus gets an X-gene from the mother and a Y-gene from the father. A female fetus receives an X-gene from both." Nagihiko explained, without hesitation. Amu face palmed mentally. She knew the answer to that! If she had been paying attention, she could have gotten it right!

"See Hinamori-San? Fujisaki-San here is always on alert and paying attention. You should use him as an example." Amu sighed, and glanced at Nagihiko. Nagihiko gave her a small smile.

"Also Sensei, could I collect the work for Mashiro-San?" Nagihiko wondered. Sensei beamed, and handed Nagihiko the work Rima missed.

"How sweet, collecting work for your friend!" Sensei exclaimed. A few fanboys scowled, even though they had no knowledge of Nagihiko's feelings for Rima. Finally, the bell rang, signaling dismissal. Amu stood up, and waited for Nagihiko to leave the classroom. They went to their lockers, and took all of the books they needed.

"Shall we go?" Nagihiko wondered, glancing at Amu.

"Of course! I hope Rima's doing okay. I'm sure she'll be happy to see us." Amu smiled, and followed Nagihiko out of the school. "We've sure been getting a lot of homework…"

"Yeah, we really have…" Nagihiko agreed. "I don't have very much though tonight."

"Eh? We had that giant science packet!" Amu exclaimed. "I mean, at least it's due Monday and it's only Thursday, but still!"

"I had some free time in English today to finish it." Nagihiko pointed out. Amu gawked at her friend, who merely chuckled.

"Wow, you have a nice English teacher…" Amu murmured. English was one of the few classes Amu didn't have with Nagihiko.

"She is really nice. Frankly, I wish we actually did something in her class, instead of just socializing. English is a very interesting subject." Amu rolled her eyes at Nagihiko.

"Nagi… Isn't good you're doing nothing?!" Amu wondered. "I'd kill for that…"

"It was only the fourth day of school, so we'll probably do more soon." Nagihiko pointed out.

They arrived at Rima's house. Neither of them ever went there since Rima never invited them over. However, Amu saw the outside once, so she knew how to get there. Nagihiko walked over to the door, with Amu behind him, and knocked on Rima's door slowly. It took a bit for a woman to open the door.

"What do you want?" She spat out.

"Hello, is this the Mashiro Residence?" Nagihiko asked politely.

"What of it?" The woman snarled.

"We're friends of your daughter, Rima-Chan. We were just going to see how she is doing and drop off her homework." Nagihiko explained kindly.

"How do I know if you're not lying? You could be people to kidnap my daughter again!" Rima's mother exclaimed.

"Mother, it's fine. I know them." All eyes turned to face the petite blonde. To their dismay, Rima looked absolutely dreadful. Her face was pale white and her eyes were bloodshot red. She had a blanket wrapped around her, making her appear to look like a little girl. Out of her peripheral vision, Amu observed a tiny blush on Nagihiko's cheeks. A smirk crossed Amu's face.

"Rima, are you feeling up to seeing them?" Her mother wondered.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It looks a lot worse than it truly is." Rima coughed lightly. "Come with me." Amu and Nagihiko nodded, and followed Rima to her room. "I only have one chair, so Amu can sit. Don't worry, I haven't touched it."

"Why can't Nagi sit?" Amu wondered.

"Because he's stupid." Rima replied groggily. Nagihiko sweat dropped, as Amu hesitatingly sat down. Nagihiko looked at Rima, pity evident on his face.

"How are you feeling Rima-Chan? You don't look very good." Nagihiko observed, his voice having a kind tone.

"I'm feeling fine. Are you calling me ugly Fujisaki?" Rima wondered, coughing.

"I-I didn't mean it like that! I, err, um…" Nagihiko sighed, and winked seductively. "You always look extremely attractive, sick or not."

"Creep." Rima murmured, her pale face gaining a little bit of color. Amu looked back and forth at the two of them.

"I've been collecting your homework, as I mentioned yesterday when I spoke to you." Nagihiko handed her a stack of assignments.

"Looks like fun." Rima grumbled.

"Well, I'm glad you're doing okay Rima," Amu said with a smile.

"Amu-Chan, Rima-Chan is lying. She isn't feeling okay at all." Nagihiko observed, studying Rima. Rima glanced back at him.

"I'm fine." Rima whispered, before she fell into a fit of coughs. Rima stood up suddenly, and left her room. As they heard interesting noises coming from the bathroom, Nagihiko and Amu gave each other glances.

"Yup, she's just fine…" Nagihiko muttered sarcastically. Rima walked back into the room, and laid down on the bed.

"We should leave. See you soon Rima!" Amu called, standing up. Rima simply nodded, curling up into a ball.

"Have you been taking any medicines? That might be wise." Nagihiko offered.

"Don't tell me what to do." Rima's voice was muffled since she was in a ball. Nagihiko sighed, giving Rima a poignant smile.

"You'll feel better when you do. Trust me. I know it will be hard, but you'll get through it. We'll help you too." Rima poked her eyes above her knees. Her eyes directed at Nagihiko, but she didn't say anything. Amu gave Rima a small wave, and they left the house.

"To the Royal Garden?" Amu wondered, looking up at Nagihiko.

"Yeah, Yaya-Chan and Kairi are probably waiting," Nagihiko pointed out. They started walking to Seiyo.

"Hey Nagi…" Nagihiko looked at Amu curiously. "I mean, I'm not very good with this romance stuff, but I'm pretty sure your feelings for Rima are mutual."

"Yeah… But you see her reactions to Kirishima-Kun also. That's why I'm not entirely sure she likes me back." Nagihiko pointed out, sighing.

"Doesn't Kirishima annoy her though?" Amu wondered.

"Yeah, but she could just be saying that, or maybe I'm just reading into this to this too much." Both of them laughed slightly. "I am worried about her though. I hope we can stop this X-Virus soon. Neither Hotori-San or Kukai have been feeling well either."

"Yeah… I hope we can stop this soon…" The two of them arrived at the Royal Garden, to see Yaya jumping up and down, and Kairi watching her, sitting on the new couch.

"Wow guys, you're late!" Yaya squealed.

"Sorry, we were visiting Rima…" Amu explained.

"How's Rima-Tan!?" Yaya exclaimed.

"Not so great… She looks extremely pale and she threw up while we were there," Nagihiko admitted.

"EW!" Yaya whined.

"How's your sister?" Amu wondered, turning to Kairi. He didn't say anything for a moment.

"She's been doing, um, better I guess." Kairi murmured. Nagihiko gave him an incredulous glance.

"Kairi-Kun has been sitting around like this for a while now. Yaya's worried about him!" Yaya whined, plopping down beside him on the couch.

"I am alright." Kairi whispered.

"Are you sure Kairi?" Nagihiko wondered skeptically.

"There is nothing about me that requires being worried." Kairi pushed up his glasses. "Did Mashiro-San state any new symptoms she was experiencing?"

"She appeared to be feeling the same, besides looking a lot worse. I forgot to ask her how she felt." Nagihiko explained.

"Nagi is too in love to focus on anything else." Yaya teased.

"Yaya-Chan!" Nagihiko exclaimed, sighing.

"I believe we should begin studying some of the effects of this virus, but the issue is that I do not know how to commence." Kairi admitted.

"We could trace how the virus develops; see how Rima-Chan differs from Hotori-San, Kukai, and Sanjou-San." Kairi shifted uncomfortably. "Kairi, what's actually wrong with your sister?" All eyes were on Nagihiko. "There's something you're keeping from us."

"I…" Kairi looked at the ground. "It is not relevant, but I do not believe my sister has the X-Virus. That is all." Nagihiko stared at Kairi cynically. "Nagihiko, I wish to not discuss the matters with my sister at the present moment. I will just state that she does not have the X-Virus." No one said anything for a while.

"Anyway… I guess there isn't too much to discuss today." Amu observed.

"We'll meet tomorrow, and maybe do something more since it's Friday."

"YAY!" Yaya squealed. "Okay, guardians dismissed!" Amu walked home, and arrived at her house to find her family staring at Ami's singing in awe. They snapped photographs and jotted notes down.

"I'm home." Amu called, placing her school books down. She took out the homework assignments she needed, and started towards her room.

"Cool and spicy!" Her parents shrieked, before turning back to Ami.

_I guess some people still think I'm that way…_ Amu thought, as she opened the door to her room. Sprawled across Amu's bed, was the last thing she expected to see.

**So, it's a cliffhanger. Gasp. I had a bit of difficulty gathering ideas together to write this, so I apologize for the lack of interest/action in this chapter. This chapter served more as filler. Anyway, please review/alert/favorite! I can probably update faster next time, depending on the amount of homework I receive.**


	5. V

**I own nothing.**

It was hard to not notice the limited amount of students left at the school. In Nagihiko's first period class, there were only thirteen students that weren't out due to sickness. Nagihiko arrived in class early, and thought about everything. It had only been five days, and the X-Virus had spread so rapidly. How was it possible, that only thirteen people were left in the class? Nagihiko knew that many middle school people had contact with each other, and tended to touch each other frequently, but he didn't understand how so many could be affected.

When the bell rang, Nagihiko was surprised to not see Amu in class still. It occurred to him that he didn't even observe her at her locker. What was taking Amu so long? The teacher went around the classroom, and checked everyone's homework. When the teacher walked past Nagihiko, she checked it, seeing the diligence that Nagihiko put into it. She complimented him, and finished checking the homework assignments. Finally, after ten minutes of class, a familiar pinkette dashed into the classroom, panting. Her pink hair was completely messed up, and it looked like she just came out of bed. Her eyes had bags underneath them, and she was wearing extremely sloppy clothing. Nagihiko cocked an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Is there a reason for your lateness Hinamori-San? May I see your homework?" Panting slightly, Amu shook her head slowly.

"I-I didn't do the homework…" Amu admitted, slumping down into her seat. Many students glanced at Amu, confused to her sudden behavior. The teacher shook her head, and reprimanded Amu about the importance of homework in an honor's class.

"Are you okay Amu-Chan?" Nagihiko whispered to her, a hint of concern present in his voice.

"I'm fine." Amu grumbled.

"Amu-Chan?"

"Leave me alone!" Amu snapped coldly, taking Nagihiko by surprise. Nagihiko gave Amu a cynical stare for a moment, before turning back to the lesson. Amu placed her head into her crossed arms, thinking about the events from the previous night.

Flashback

_ Amu's eyes widened at the sight of what was sprawled across her bed. A familiar midnight blue-haired teenager was lying, collapsed on her bed. His head rested on Amu's pillow, his eyes fastened tightly shut. _

_ "I-Ikuto?!" Amu exclaimed, walking over to him. She placed a hand on his cheek, noticing it felt cold. She knelt beside him. The teenager's eyes opened, locking with Amu's. Their faces were inches away from each other. "Are you alright?" Amu whispered softly. _

_ "Amu…" Ikuto's eyes darkened. "It only figures I'd be here…" _

_ "What happened?!" Amu exclaimed, placing her hand on his forehead. She noticed that he felt extremely hot._

_ "Easter. They… It's complicated…"_

_ "The X-Virus…" Amu remembered quickly. "They used you as their test subject." Ikuto nodded, looking at Amu surprised._

_ "Utau told you?"_

_ "Yeah… she just told us a few days ago, but it seems to be spreading quickly." Amu explained._

_ "It spreads even faster and easier than a normal virus." Ikuto admitted. His face grew solemn for a moment. "I should go. I can't risk having you being sick. Especially since…" Ikuto suddenly stopped speaking._

_ "Especially since what?" Amu wondered. Ikuto stared at her, a sudden smirk forming on his face. "Ikuto?" _

_ "Have I ever told you how much I loved you Amu?" A wry smirk crossed his smirk, as he wrapped his arms around her. Amu's face turned as red as an apple._

_ "W-W-What!?" Amu exclaimed, stunned at his sudden change of behavior. Ikuto stood up and shoved Amu onto a wall. She froze, as Ikuto put two arms surrounding her. Her face heated up. Ikuto pressed his lips onto hers. A feeling of warmth spread through Amu's body, as she felt Ikuto's lips on hers. It was her very first kiss. However, it was moving a lot more quickly for Amu's comfort. Ikuto's hands moved down to the bottom of her shirt, as he started to lift it. She was astonished. Amu knew that Ikuto could act perverted sometimes, but she knew that he would never put her in any situations that she wouldn't like. _

_ "S-Stop!" Amu tried to shriek, but his lips muffled her voice. She tried to pry him off of her, but was unsuccessful. Suddenly, Ikuto let go of her, and jolted back. _

_ "I-I…" Ikuto's eyes were widened. At that moment, Ikuto composed himself, and immediately hopped out of the window. Amu stared at the spot where Ikuto previously stood, in a daze. What just happened?_

* * *

Tears were running down Amu's face before she could blink. She quickly wiped them away, hoping no one else noticed. However, she knew that she wouldn't be able to get past Nagihiko. He noticed any suspicious activity from anyone. Nagihiko could see through people like they were transparent; nothing going past him. As if on cue, Nagihiko gave Amu a worried glance. Amu turned her head away from him quickly.

Finally, first period was over. Amu sighed, and quickly stood up, leaving the room before Nagihiko could catch up. She wasn't in the mood to talk to him about her problems. Normally, she always told him everything, but the events that occurred yesterday, Amu wasn't ready to tell anyone.

It soon occurred to her that she was walking the opposite direction of the next class. She turned quickly, coughing into her arm, and hurried back to the right way.

"I was wondering when you'd realize you were going to wrong way." Amu didn't look up at her indigo-haired friend. He offered her a smile that she didn't return. "Amu-Chan, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Amu grumbled.

"Amu-Chan, I'll listen to you. You know I will always listen to you." Nagihiko informed her.

"I-I just… I'm not really in the mood to talk about it…" Amu sighed.

"I understand." The two of them walked in silence to their next class.

* * *

When school was over and everyone met at the Royal Garden, Yaya was annoyed to see everyone in such a dull mood. Amu was staring at the ground intently. Nagihiko watched her, concern apparent on his face. Kairi, too, had been acting down lately.

"Guys, you need to chill out and smile!" Yaya informed them, grinning widely.

"Amu-Chan, Kairi-San, Yaya-Chan is right. You need to cheer up. It's Friday," Nagihiko pointed out.

"YES! GUYS, WE NEED TO GET ICE CREAM!" Yaya squealed happily. She bounced around.

"We need to focus on the X-Virus. We do not have much information about it. We require more information on it. Nagihiko-San, have you spoken to Mashiro-San yet?"

"No, I have not called her today." Nagihiko admitted.

"Really?! Well, _that's_ a shocker!" Yaya exclaimed. A hint of red was apparent on Nagihiko's cheeks.

"I don't talk to her everyday… Just because I have a crush on her, doesn't mean I have an obsession with her," Nagihiko grumbled. Yaya simply laughed, and patted Nagihiko on his head.

"Anyway, Kairi-Kun's right! So… The X-Virus! Let's cure it! YEAH!" Everyone just gave Yaya blank stares.

"Look…there's something I need to put off my shoulders." Everyone looked at Kairi curiously. "It is something I should have informed you before." He looked at the ground.

"It's okay Kairi-Kun." Yaya reassured, putting her hand over his. Clearly taken back by Yaya's actions, Kairi's face reddened. He adjusted his glasses, and looked up at everyone.

"It is about my sister. The truth is she does not have the X-Virus. She is actually pregnant." Everyone stared at Kairi, surprised.

"Really?! For how long?!" Amu wondered, surprised.

"They believe it has been since the honeymoon, which was three months ago. She just found out two days ago," Kairi explained.

"Were they trying for it?" Nagihiko wondered.

"Yukari's pregnancy was unintended, but the idea is alright with them, since they wanted a child at some point anyway."

"Don't worry Kairi, you'll be okay!" Kairi turned to Yaya curiously. "Yaya understands your concerns, since Yaya has a baby brother and he hogs all of the attention, but you won't be completely ignored!" Kairi sweat dropped.

"That was not necessarily my concern, but I appreciate the thought Yaya-Chan." Kairi uttered a small smile.

"You'll make a fine uncle," Nagihiko reassured him. "I know it's overwhelming, but you'll get used to it." Kairi gave Nagihiko a smile.

"Thank you." Kairi whispered.

"There's something I should say too." Amu muttered, sighing. "Utau isn't coming today… right?"

"I don't believe so…" Nagihiko said. Amu sighed, and explained everything that happened the previous night.

"Ikuto-Tan came to your room?!" Yaya exclaimed, surprised. Amu nodded slowly.

"If Tsukiyomi-Kun knows how rapidly the X-Virus could spread from person to person, then why did he come to your room? Why was he acting so impulsively?" Kairi pondered aloud.

"Ikuto would have never treated me like that… It was so… different for him." Amu whispered.

"Amu-Chan, how are you feeling?" Nagihiko asked.

"I'm alright right now." Amu admitted. "Come to think of it, I didn't notice Yoru holding Ikuto back or anything. I wonder where he was…"

"How congested did he appear?" Kairi wondered.

"His forehead was hot," Amu explained. "Other than that and his strange behavior, that was basically it." Amu hugged her legs close to her body, and sighed. She combed back her pink hair.

"So…" Nagihiko glanced at Kairi. "We did not really get any new facts…"

"No, we did not. However, we can try to connect each infected person's case. Did Mashiro-San, Hotori-San, or Souma-San undergo any strange personality changes like Tsukiyomi-Kun?"

"Not really, no." Amu admitted. "Nagi and I visited Rima yesterday, and she seemed normal, well, besides the fact she looked absolutely awful. She was saying normal things, and insulting Nagi." Nagihiko face-palmed.

"Yaya spoke to Kukai the other day! He seemed himself, except really tired and sick. Yaya hasn't spoken to Tada-Tan in a while though…" Yaya tapped her chin for a moment.

"I'll call Hotori-San later," Nagihiko offered.

"A-Actually, I was meaning to speak to him…" Amu muttered. Yaya smirked. "Obviously, I wouldn't tell him about last night, but other than that, I want to talk to him."

"Hey Nagi-Tan, do you have anything to tell us?" Yaya wondered.

"Huh?" Nagihiko looked up at Yaya, surprised.

"Kairi-Kun and Amu-Chi told us secrets! You have a few, right?" Nagihiko merely smirked.

"I do not have anything… that necessarily applies to anything about the X-Virus," Nagihiko said. Yaya raised an eyebrow. "No, I really don't have any secrets. Do you Yaya-Chan?" Yaya thought for a second.

"Well, Yaya stole candy yesterday from her sensei. Well, Yaya made Tsubasa cry yesterday! However, Yaya's biggest secret is her crush!" All three pairs of eyes looked up at Yaya.

"I thought that you had feelings for that male in your class Lucas? Frankly, your feelings for him you tend to make very vocal and would not be classified as a secret," Kairi muttered. Yaya covered her mouth quickly.

"Yaya's big mouth!" Yaya exclaimed. "Yup, Yaya likes Lucas-Tan." She said that too quickly.

"Yaya-Chan, who do you actually like?" Nagihiko wondered, smiling at her.

"Okay, okay, Yaya will announce her feelings for her _actual_ crush." Yaya sighed, and looked at her feet, blushing. Nagihiko glanced at Kairi, who seemed anxiously waiting for whom Yaya liked. However, Nagihiko had pieced it all together now.

"Who do you like Yaya?" Amu asked. She seemed a little peppier, but not much more. Yaya looked at Amu for a second.

"Yaya's just going to say it, okay?" Yaya coughed a few times, clearing her throat. "Yaya… likes… um… well…"

"Yaya-Chan, we don't have all day. I should be getting home to my sister." Kairi pointed out. Nagihiko glanced at Kairi, surprised he had not pieced it together yet.

"Wait!" Yaya practically shrieked. "Yaya… Oh gosh darn it; Yaya is in love with Kairi-Kun." There was a silence. Kairi's cheeks were plastered red. He stared at Yaya in disbelief. Yaya couldn't return his glance. Amu and Nagihiko looked at each other, smiling. The two of them were so cute together.

"Y-Yaya-Chan, I-I had no idea…"

"Yaya was always embarrassed. Yaya was shy, so that's why Yaya refers to you as Kairi-_Kun_."

"I-I can reciprocate the feelings for you," Kairi whispered, pushing up his glasses. "I never speculated that you loved me the way I loved you. I always considered my emotions one-sided, but I am pleased to see that I was mistaken."

"So, um, are we like, um, dating?" Yaya wondered, swinging her arms back and forth.

"I suppose so, if you desire that." Yaya nodded swiftly.

"I'm happy for the two of you!" Amu exclaimed, smiling. Nagihiko smiled too.

"Thank you…" Kairi whispered. "Well, I should get going. It was nice to see you guys. Yaya-Chan, thank you." Yaya giggled, and hugged him. Kairi blushed, but hugged her back. He quickly left, leaving Yaya to chuckle loudly. Finally, the three of them decided to go back to their homes.

* * *

When Nagihiko arrived at his mansion, he was immediately ordered by his mother to practice his dancing. Sighing, Nagihiko went to his room, to change into a kimono. As he tied his hair back, he heard his phone ring.

"Hello?" Nagihiko wondered into his phone, putting it on his shoulder as he placed a flower in his indigo hair.

"Nagi, is that you?" Nagihiko froze upon hearing the sound of the soft voice that made his heart flutter every time he heard it.

"Rima-Chan? What's up?" Nagihiko wondered, perhaps a little too cheery.

"I know we typically don't get along, but I wanted to talk to someone, and you seemed… right." She sounded upset.

"What's wrong Rima-Chan?" Nagihiko asked her.

"I miss seeing you every day. I miss the presence of you and your purple hair falling below your shoulders. I miss the way that you casually insult me, but you never mean a word of it. I wish you could be here with me right now, and hold me tight." Nagihiko was sincerely perplexed by Rima's words. Was this a joke?

"Are you… feeling okay?" Nagihiko wondered.

"No, I cannot feel okay when apart from you." This was too weird for Nagihiko.

"Rima-Chan, you're supposed to be mean to me. You would never say this." Nagihiko whispered slowly, as if trying to reason with her.

"Well, I just did, didn't I? And I'm also going to tell you that I am in love with you, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. If you were here with me, I would love to feel your lips on mine, and…"

"Rima-Chan, shut up." Nagihiko interrupted. A thought suddenly occurred to him. Amu described Ikuto treating her the same way, kissing her aggressively (although Rima wasn't actually kissing him) and acting sweet for no reason. "Listen to me carefully. I don't know what's going on, but something with this virus is messing with your mind. You don't believe all of this, or maybe you do, but that's beside the point. Whether you have feelings for me or not, you would never vocalize them like this."

"But..." Nagihiko could hear a gasp from the other end. "Oh shit! I-I have to go, um, um, bye!" A panicked Rima suddenly hung up the phone, leaving Nagihiko in utter confusion.

**Well, this took a different turn than expected. I know these past two chapters were fillers, but trust me when I say that the next few will pick up the plot. Please review/alert/favorite! **


	6. VI

**Let me just start off by saying I apologize immensely for taking eras to update! You can thank school and the abundance of homework and tests. However, I hope this chapter ceases to disappoint! I own nothing, and enjoy!**

The sun was shining high in the sky, signaling the early morning. Utau Tsukiyomi sat on the roof of her friend's house, an old habit her brother often did. She leaned her head on her arms, and relaxed the best she could, given the situation. Worry was an emotion that passed through her. She had not seen her brother in three months, and she knew that he was infected with a disease that could kill him. He had specifically told her to hide for three months. However, hiding was no longer an option, as the disease was now spreading rapidly. She had already lost her little brother, a friend, and her boyfriend to the disease. She couldn't afford to lose anyone else. She needed to find a cure before they died. She clenched her fists, and sighed in aggravation. She should not have listened to Ikuto's advice. She should have told them immediately about the disease. She blamed herself for Tadase, Rima, and Kukai getting sick. She swore to protect Tadase when she was younger. And Kukai… Utau closed her eyes.

When her phone started ringing, Utau opened her eyes, startled. She looked at her phone, seeing it was from Amu. She held her phone to her ear. "What is it?"

"Utau! We have an important discovery! Come to the Royal Garden as soon as you can!" Utau's ears perked up.

"I'll be there shortly," Utau replied, hanging up. She slid down the roof, landing directly on her feet as elegantly as her brother would, and made her way to the Royal Garden.

* * *

When Utau arrived at the Royal Garden, she was greeted by the presence of Tadase, Rima, and Kukai, along with the usual four. Utau turned to the three of them, perplexed.

"What are they doing here?!" Utau wondered.

"They're being used as test subjects." Kairi explained, typing some information on a computer. Yaya stood behind him, her hands casually wrapped around his chair. Utau noticed a tint of red apparent on Kairi's face. Nagihiko was on the other computer. Amu was facing the three infected people. Utau could see how terrible each of them looked. Rima's eyes were bloodshot red, and her face was unhealthily pale. She twirled her blonde hair with her finger, her legs tucked into her chest. Beside her sat Tadase, looking only slightly better. He was looking at Amu. Lastly, there was Kukai. He looked similar to Rima, in that his face was as white as a ghost and his eyes were red. Utau noticed a weird smirk on his face.

"Utau-Chan, take a seat." Nagihiko instructed, without looking at her. Slightly puzzled, Utau complied, taking a seat at a chair. She felt Kukai's on her. She looked at him, without a visible expression. Kukai brushed his hair back, and continued watching her with a weird smirk.

"Wow. You look exceptionally sexy today." Kukai said. Utau raised an eyebrow. Although Kukai often liked to flirt with her or compliment her, he was never this creepy.

"Um… what?" Utau was confused.

"What if today was the last day of our life? What would you do?" Kukai placed his head on his fist. Out of the corner of her eye, Utau noticed Rima looking extremely uncomfortable, and mouthing something to Nagihiko. Suddenly, a thought occurred to Utau. She thought she pieced it all together, why Kukai was acting like this.

"Kukai, you're not going to die." Utau whispered her voice with a kinder tone than she usually has. "Don't say that. We're going to cure you, I promise. I won't let you die…"

"I know you won't, babe." Kukai suddenly stood up, and made his way over to Utau, a wry grin on his face. "Ignore everyone else. It's just me and you." He walked closer to her, but suddenly, he tripped over Rima's foot, and fell face first to the ground. Rima started giggling, and then immediately followed up by coughing.

"Rima-Chan, was that really necessary?" Nagihiko wondered, sweat dropping. Kukai sat up, and his eyes widened.

"What the hell was I saying?! Oh god, this is what you guys were talking about?! Oh geez…" Clearly embarrassed, Kukai made his way back to the couch.

"What… just happened?" Utau wondered, her arms crossed. Kairi turned to Utau.

"Last night, Nagihiko-San received a phone call from Mashiro-San, stating something along the lines of having deep emotions for him and wanting to pursue an extremely romantic relationship."

"…This was a huge lie!" Rima quickly added, but seemed very flustered.

"…Anyway, Nagihiko-San was suspicious, so he told her that her statement was false. Mashiro-San suddenly realized what she was saying, and she hung up immediately."

"Wait, aren't you guys leaving out the part about Iku-Tan?" Yaya wondered. Utau's eyes shot up immediately.

"Uh, what?! What are you talking about Yaya?" Amu said too quickly. Tadase looked up as well, confused. Even Rima and Kukai looked at Yaya puzzled.

"What the hell happened with my brother?!" Utau bellowed. Yaya, Amu, and Kairi turned to Nagihiko quickly, the gifted liar. However, he knew that Utau would be skeptical no matter what he said.

"It wasn't…"

"I said, what happened with my brother?!" Utau yelled. Nagihiko glanced at Amu. Amu sighed, looking at Utau sadly.

"Look Utau, we, well, I didn't mean any harm by not telling you. I just was…"

"Shut the hell up with the nonsense Amu; where is my brother?! What the hell happened?!" Utau yelled.

"This isn't going to be good for Amu." Kukai whispered to Rima. Amu looked at the ground, and slowly explained everything that happened with Ikuto two nights ago. She looked upset.

"Why didn't you tell me you saw my brother?!" Utau wondered angrily. "Where did he go?! You should have helped him more!"

"I didn't know what was going on!" Amu defended. "I was scared, scared that Ikuto would hurt me or something."

"Ikuto would never hurt you. How dare you even think that! He cares about you, even more than his own sister!" Hot tears ran down Utau's face, but she didn't care. "Do you know what the last thing Ikuto said to me before I ran away? It wasn't to be careful or anything along the lines of that. Nope. It was asking if you danced with Tadase during the dance. He's in love with you more than everyone Amu, and all you do is decide to go off with another boy." Utau suddenly stormed out of the Royal Garden. The remaining ex-guardians and new guardians sat there in silence for a moment.

"Why didn't you tell me that yesterday Amu-Chan?" Tadase finally said. Amu looked at the ground, her eyes darkening.

"I…"

"Look, we have to worry about the virus before the lies that people tell. Frankly, the three of you look terrible, and I'm only scared that it could become worse." Nagihiko interrupted.

"You're one to talk about lies Nagi." Rima muttered. Nagihiko glanced at her, his narrowing.

"I can't believe I missed your snide comments…" Nagihiko muttered. Rima smiled, in a manner that was out of character, especially since it was directed at Nagihiko. He gave her a poignant smile back.

"So, we have discovered that a new symptom of the X-virus is acting flirtatious around their love interest." Kairi pointed out.

"I'm not romantically interested in Nagi!" Rima protested quickly, but she was ignored.

"Why have I not been that way around Amu-Chan?" Tadase asked curiously.

"Souma-Kun and Mashiro-San both were infected a day before you were. It seems you are a day behind them in feeling the symptoms." Kairi explained.

"I forgot to tell you all, but Kusu-Kusu disappeared." Rima muttered. Everyone looked at her, surprised.

"When did that occur?" Kairi asked.

"Last night, after I hung up with Nagi. I was trying to piece together what had made me say all of that crap, when suddenly, Kusu-Kusu was completely gone, egg and all." Rima looked at the ground.

"Rima-Tan, you said directly after you spoke to Nagi-Tan?" Yaya wondered. Rima merely nodded. Yaya turned to Kukai. "Kukai-Tan, you just spoke to Utau-Chi…" Kukai's eyes widened.

"Oh shoot! Daichi!" To his dismay, Daichi was fading away, his egg suddenly vanishing. "No, no, no…"

"Kairi-San, it looks like our prediction was correct." Nagihiko muttered, turning to Kairi. Kairi simply nodded.

"The heart's egg is affected by this. Romances are often said to be from the heart, so what if that's the reason Mashiro-San, Souma-Kun, and Tsukiyomi-Kun were acting impulsively around their romantic interest?" Kairi hypothesized. Rima opened her mouth to protest.

"We've gathered that you don't like me." Nagihiko said quickly, before Rima could speak. She closed her mouth. Amu had a smirk on her face. "That would make sense though. Except, according to Rima here, she does not like me, so why would she act impulsively around me?"

"Wow, I smell a certain aroma called denial." Kukai sniffed to prove his point. Rima hugged her legs closer to her body, hiding her blush.

"You know, I really should get going. I'm still very sick, and I'm beginning to feel nauseated, so I should be on my way." Rima stood up suddenly, and began to leave the Royal Garden. Suddenly, she winced in pain, and began to fell over. Without a second thought, Nagihiko was there to catch her in his arms. Headphones were around his neck, as he held her. Rima looked up in surprise.

"Don't worry milady, I'll always be there for you." Nagihiko slurred seductively. He winked, and without any warning, kissed her. The other five watched them, very perplexed to what just happened. Although she was extremely confused as well, Rima kissed him back. Their kiss lasted about five seconds, before Nagihiko suddenly drew away, his headphones evaporating suddenly, and dropped Rima. His face was dark red, but embarrassment was not the major contributor.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?!" Nagihiko exclaimed angrily.

"I-I-It w-wasn't m-me! I-I j-just…" Rima faltered.

"Not you; him." Nagihiko pointed an accusing finger at his chara. Rhythm peered up, cocking his head to the right.

"I was helping you do what you always wanted to do. You weren't going to do it." Rhythm pointed out.

"Whether I wanted to kiss her or not is not the major concern!"

"But… you did…"

"Hello Rhythm; the X-Virus?! Does that ring a bell? Rima has been infected for almost a week now! I have been extremely cautious around her, avoiding to get sick! However, kissing her just put all of that to a waste!" Nagihiko clenched his fists. "Thanks to you Rhythm, I'm going to be infected with this disease; this X-Virus that can _kill_ me. Temari and you will disappear now. And it's your freaking fault! Yes, I am insanely in love with Rima, but that does not mean that I was going to kiss her to get myself sick!" Nagihiko walked closer to the front of the Royal Garden, and suddenly paused. "You always told me that I shouldn't think things through so much, but clearly, if you had a freaking brain instead of crappy impulses, I wouldn't be sick. So, thanks Rhythm." Nagihiko angrily pushed the door of the Royal Garden opened, and stormed out.

* * *

It took everyone else a while before saying anything. The anger in Nagihiko's voice repeated in their head. The reluctance to having this disease. Since Nagihiko had abandoned his charas, Rhythm and Temari were still there. Rhythm looked really guilty, and close to tears.

"Wow, I really screwed up." Rhythm muttered.

"Yeah you did, but it is okay Rhythm. Nagi will be okay. He's still just adapting to this new idea of becoming infected. It's a lot to take in." Rhythm nodded slowly, but he still felt guilty.

"Well…damn." Kukai muttered. "For who knows how many years of knowing Nagi, I've never seen him that mad."

"His character change with Temari has been the maddest I've seen…" Tadase admitted.

"I understand where he is coming from. The situation he now finds himself in is grim. I pity him." Kairi whispered.

"Yaya agrees with Kairi-Kun!" Yaya grinned.

"He might not get sick." Amu whispered. "I-I mean, Ikuto kissed me, and I was briefly coughing yesterday, but I don't feel sick today."

"Ikuto-NiiSan stole your first kiss…" Tadase grumbled. Amu looked at the ground.

"Yaya suggests that the guardians, current and old, are dismissed!" Yaya jumped up. Everyone nodded, exiting the Royal Garden.

"Oh man, I feel exhausted!" Kukai exclaimed. "I guess being sick and coming here was too much for me. Oh well. I'm glad I'm heading home!" Kukai started walking home, with Yaya following him. Kairi walked home in his own direction alone, since Nagihiko had already left. Amu, Tadase, and Rima walked their own direction. There was silence between the three of them.

"That was… an interesting turn of events." Amu muttered.

"Yeah…" Tadase seemed distracted. However, compared to Rima, he wasn't sidetracked at all.

Rima was in shock. To say she was expecting that would be the biggest lie she ever told. She felt slightly guilty for his probable infection of the virus, even though she knew she was completely innocent. Not only did she have her first kiss, but Nagihiko had unintentionally confessed to her, by telling Rhythm he was "insanely in love" with her. She could still feel Nagihiko's lips on hers, the warm feeling she received throughout her body. She couldn't deny that she kissed him back.

"Hey Rima, that's your house." Rima looked up quickly, seeing Amu and Tadase coming to a halt.

"Oh yeah." Rima stared at it for a moment. "That is my house." Amu and Tadase looked at her with odd expressions. "Bye."

"Feel better Rima! I'll visit you soon!" Amu promised. Rima merely nodded, slowly making her way to her home. She suddenly felt sick, so she made her way to the bathroom, and threw up.

"Ugh…" Rima grumbled. "This sucks Kusu-Kusu…oh wait, you're gone." That brought down Rima's mood, along with being sick. However, despite being sick and Kusu-Kusu being gone, knowing that she had her first kiss and that someone officially loved her, even if it got him sick, made her feel happier. A small smile crossed Rima's face, as she made her way to her room, and went into her bed. Without thinking much, sleep suddenly passed through her.

* * *

Amu and Tadase started walking, silence falling between them. Amu knew that Tadase was probably mad at her for not telling him about Ikuto. She couldn't blame him. When they got to Tadase's house, he waved quickly, before heading home. Amu went to her house, and started for her door.

"Amu-Chan." Amu turned, seeing Temari and Rhythm. "Can we stay with you guys today? Nagi… probably doesn't want to see us."

"Well, me." Rhythm grumbled.

"You didn't know Rhythm; it's okay!" Miki said, smiling. Rhythm gave her a small thumb up, but didn't smile.

"Of course you guys can stay ~desu!" Su smiled. "We'll make extra room for your eggs!" Temari thanked her, as Amu walked inside her home. She went to her room, and sighed, thinking about the events of the day. She knew Utau and Tadase were both extremely mad at her. She wondered where Ikuto was now.

* * *

Soft footsteps echoed under the rising moon. Ikuto Tsukiyomi was walking forward, his violin placed firmly on his back. The brightness of the moon made his midnight blue hair shine. Ikuto stopped, arriving in front of his final destination; the Easter Building. He detested them strongly, hated them for what they did to him. He could have hurt Amu, if she wasn't unique. Sighing, Ikuto causally entered the building, and made his way to the elevator. He pressed the highest floor; floor 22, and felt the motion of the elevator ascending. Silence filled the air, as there was no one to speak to. He missed the cackling of his chara.

Finally, he reached the top floor. Ikuto walked up the stairs on that floor, and opened the door that led to the roof. He walked on the roof. The roof was flat. The stars surrounded him, making up the night sky. Ikuto made his way towards the edge of the roof. He took off his violin case, and removed his violin from the case. He rested his chin on the edge of the violin, and allowed his other hand to hold the bow. He moved the bow across the strings, playing a melody. The melody was filled with melancholy, filling the night with remorse.

"It didn't have to end this way." Ikuto whispered, as he played the song; the final song. "However, what's done has been done. There's no going back." Ikuto stopped playing, and held his violin in one hand and the bow in the other. He placed them both down on the roof gingerly, and made his way back to the edge. He closed his eyes.

"Good-bye. Hinamori Amu, you'll never know, but I do love you. Utau, you were the best sister I could ever have. Don't ever feel forgotten." Ikuto laughed slightly, before sighing.

"IKUTO!" A loud scream interrupted the serenity. Without opening his eyes, Ikuto allowed himself to fall over the edge of the building. "NO IKUTO!"

**Please review/alert/favorite! Hopefully I'll update sooner next time!**


	7. VII

**I can't believe I got eleven reviews on a single chapter! I love you guys! That's why I'm updating this story before my other stories. It is also because my mind is flooding with ideas for this, and not so much for everything else. By the way, if anyone watches Sherlock, you'll notice the feels I am currently enduring. I will not say anymore, because I do not want to accidentally give a spoiler. Anyway, I own nothing, and enjoy!**

_NO IKUTO!_

Utau screamed in agony, unable to cease her brother's actions. She sunk to her knees, tears pouring out of her eyes rapidly. There was no stopping her from crying. Her brother had just jumped off of the roof. Utau had only been minutes too late. She could have saved him. A sickening feeling formed in her stomach. It was her fault her brother was now dead.

She slowly peered up, glancing at her brother's violin. It was left there, placed gingerly on the roof. Utau gradually stood up, and picked up the violin. This violin had once belonged to her father. Since Ikuto expressed interest for the violin even as a child, he had inherited the instrument. Utau had so many memories of singing along to that violin. Ikuto would play a random scale or chord or something, and Utau would follow up with making up random lyrics. It was their little game.

More tears escaped her eyes, as she reminisced of her memories of her brother. She could not quite fathom his death. It all seemed surreal, yet it made complete sense. Why would he live with the X-Virus that would slowly kill him, instead of just simply killing himself?

Utau suddenly looked up, glancing down the roof. What was she without her brother? Utau relied on him, leaned on him for everything. Without him, she would have never commenced a singing career. She almost gave up on her dream, but Ikuto convinced her to keep pursuing it, and now she was successful. They were inseparable, like two magnets. If one was gone, what point did the other one serve? Utau could join Ikuto and follow his lead. It wasn't like anyone else would care. Nothing else mattered, except for her brother. She gently dropped the violin, and walked closer to the edge. This was the building that would be the place where the two Tsukiyomi siblings would take their final steps. Tears ran down Utau's face, but she ignored them. Closing her eyes, she began to count upward to three. 1…2…

"Hoshina Utau, stop right there." Utau froze, the voice sounding disgustingly familiar to her. This man had infected her brother with the X-Virus, causing him to terminate his life. Utau angrily turned around, her eyes meeting the man she had recently met three months ago.

"It's Tsukiyomi!" Utau spat. Gravatus merely rolled his eyes.

"So, we are aware that Ikuto provided you with information that you should not know." Utau crossed her arms. The darkness of the night concealed the fact she was crying.

"What of it?"

"You see, no one was supposed to know of our plan. It was confidential. The guardians would have been unable to stop it, although it is still difficult to disrupt our plans. You know too much Utau."

"Go ahead; kill me. I dare you." Utau muttered, holding her arms up.

"Very well then." Gravatus fumbled in his pocket, finally pulling out a gun. Utau found herself not surprised. He lifted the gun to Utau's head, and began pulling back the trigger. Utau closed her eyes.

_Bang!_ Utau heard the gun fire, but she did not experience any pain or death. She opened her eyes, to see Gravatus's gun lying on the roof. When she looked up, she saw someone she did not expect to see clutching Gravatus tightly.

"What are you doing here?!" Utau wondered, her eyes widening.

"I wasn't sleeping, and then I heard Ikuto's violin playing, so I went out to see what was going on. That's when I experienced all of this."

"Yeah, I heard his violin too." Utau muttered. She looked at the ground morosely, as she remembered her brother vividly and his sudden death.

"Look Utau, you can't stay here! We don't have time for this chitchat! Hustle! I always wanted to say that… Anyway, run! I can't hold on forever!" Utau looked up, her eyes watering. Gravatus was struggling under the tight grasp of her boyfriend. However, he was beginning to escape. "Utau!"

"I'm on my way." Utau muttered. She looked up at him for a minute, locking eyes with him. "I love you Souma." She swiftly transformed with El, and soared away. She contemplated going back to Yukari's house, but she decided against it, not wanting to deal with them. Instead, she went to a place she had not gone to in ages; her house. She opened the doors, and not to her surprise, it was empty. She noticed a picture of her family; her mother, her father, Ikuto, and her. Ikuto had been seven, and Utau was five. That was taken only a few days before their father left. Ikuto was adorable as a child. A poignant smile crossed Utau's face, but it quickly vanished when the harsh truth came to Utau again; he was dead.

"Ikuto…" Utau murmured, before another set of tears fell down her face. She sat on the ground, unable to move.

* * *

"I love you too…" Kukai mumbled, as Utau flew away. He knew that she couldn't hear him, but he also knew that she already knew. He was almost glad that Gravatus came along, so she wouldn't kill herself. Yes, Kukai would have saved her as well, but that would have also got her infected with the X-Virus. A feeling of despair swept across Kukai. He respected Ikuto. It was upsetting for him to witness his death.

"Are you Utau's boyfriend?" Gravatus wondered suddenly. Kukai peered down at him, and smirked slightly.

"Yes I am." Kukai announced smugly. "So, I won't let her get hurt. I'd stay away from her, because when a guy loves a girl, he will go way out of his way to protect her." Kukai heard Gravatus chuckle in mocking. Kukai knew he must have sounded like an idiot. Not only did he have no experience with holding the boss of Easter back, but he was still extremely sick, and his voice was very sore. Nausea passed through him. Kukai suddenly let go, and puked on the roof. Before Kukai could blink, Gravatus was gone. However, Kukai was relieved; he had helped the guardians immensely by infecting Gravatus with the X-Virus.

"One simple touch should do the trick!" Kukai smirked, as he left the Easter Building.

* * *

When Amu heard her phone ringing loudly, she threw the pillow over her head and whined loudly. She was not ready to wake up.

"Amu-Chan, the phone is ringing ~desu!" Su informed her.

"I've realized!" Amu moaned loudly.

"Amu-Chan, it's eleven o'clock; you can wake up." Miki told her. Amu groaned, and sat up, grabbing her phone and picking up, without bothering to check who it was.

"What?" Amu muttered very rudely into the phone.

"Amu-Chan, did I wake you up?" The familiar voice made Amu's insides swell up, and start blushing immediately. She immediately composed herself.

"I-It's okay Tadase-Kun. I'm glad you called; I wanted to talk to you. I'm really sorry I didn't…"

"It's okay Amu-Chan, I'm not mad." Amu sighed a breath of relief.

"Thank you Tadase-Kun. That means a lot to me." Amu smiled.

"In fact, that's not why I called. There is something I wanted to tell you," Tadase said.

"Yeah? What's up?" Amu wondered, curious.

"Lately, I cannot find a moment where I am not thinking of you. The thoughts of you seem to stalk me, when I least expect it. You are the reason that keeps me persevering; the reason I haven't given up all together when the prospects are grim. I love you Amu-Chan. My heart is filled with thoughts of you. In fact, I want to progress our relationship. I know people might say we are too young to make love, but if we are truly in love, age doesn't matter, right? That's why, I propose, we should do what we are told not to, because we love each other." Amu's mouth dropped open.

"Tadase-Kun, that's not…"

"Please Amu-Chan; it will just be you and me, no one else." Suddenly, Amu realized something. Tadase was going through his impulse aspect of the virus, just as Ikuto, Rima, and Kukai did.

"You don't mean what you're saying," Amu whispered.

"I…" A pause was apparent on Tadase's end of the line. "I'm sorry Amu-Chan, I-I didn't mean to! Y-You know, it was…"

"I understand Tadase-Kun," Amu reassured.

"Thank you. Amu-Chan, I do forgive you though. I understand the situation. It must have been hard to deal with that. I should not have been mad at you. If something happens to you ever that you're uncomfortable with, just never hesitate to tell me."

"I won't!" Amu promised.

"I have to go, but I'll speak to you soon! I love you." Amu froze, as Tadase hung up. She did not expect Tadase to tell her that at that moment.

"Wow Amu-Chan, you're really blushing." Temari observed. Amu jumped, forgetting that Temari and Rhythm were there.

"What did Tadase-Kun say?" Ran asked.

"Nothing important." Amu grumbled.

"Tell us!" Rhythm pleaded.

"H-He m-may h-have…mentioned that he loved me." Amu murmured, saying the last part very quickly.

"Aw!" Ran, Miki, and Su swooned. Temari gave Amu a smile and Rhythm gave her a thumb up.

"Hey Dia, aren't you going to say anything?" Ran wondered, turning to Amu's fourth chara. All eyes were turned to her.

"I'm happy for you Amu." Dia whispered, but she was glancing out the window. The rain was pouring rapidly, roughly hitting the window.

"Are you okay Dia?" Amu wondered, walking over to her chara.

"Yeah… I-I'm fine." Dia forced a wistful smile.

"Alright… I'm going to shower," Amu announced, leaving her room.

"Rhythm, you can't come! Pervert!" Miki scolded. Rhythm sweat dropped. Amu's charas and Temari, with the exception of Dia, followed her to the bathroom.

"Amu-Chan doesn't know what is happening…" Dia whispered, sighing. "She is so oblivious to the big picture."

"Hm, what do you mean?" Dia turned, facing the other remaining chara. Rhythm cocked his head to the side.

"It's nothing."

"Look Dia-Chan; I'm the chara of a guy who can tell if a person is telling the truth or not every time. Being around him constantly, I get pretty good at these things."

"Something has happened." Dia looked out the window. Rhythm looked at her curiously. "Something only Amu-Chan can fix." Suddenly, Dia's eyes flashed bright yellow.

"Hey Dia, your eyes are…"

"The catalyst has descended, but will ascend swiftly. She can alleviate the pain, save the world from the incoming darkness. Her power lies with eternal love. However, there is one obstacle that will complicate the matters. That one obstacle can cease her, and bring chaos and destruction upon the Earth." With a perplexed expression, Rhythm watched as Dia suddenly passed out.

"Dia!" Rhythm cried. Her egg formed around her. Rhythm watched, as Dia's egg wasn't budging in the slightest.

Amu walked into her room suddenly, a towel wrapped around her body. Her hair was tied up into a high ponytail.

"Eh? Why is Dia in her egg?" Amu wondered, walking over to the egg. She picked up Dia's egg, and examined it. She turned to Rhythm, puzzled.

"It was so weird!" Rhythm exclaimed. He explained what happened.

"That sounds like a prophecy or something…" Miki pondered. "I hope Dia is okay though!"

"I'm going to get dressed. Rhythm, can you turn around?" Rhythm nodded, as Amu changed into her clothing. Amu wore jeans and long sleeved blue shirt.

"Amu-Chan, it's really hot outside!" Ran exclaimed.

"Yeah, but I'm freezing!" Amu moaned. She looked at Dia's egg for a second, and sighed. "I hope she's okay. Amu put Dia's egg in her pocket, and sighed. Suddenly, her phone started ringing. Amu looked at the caller ID, to see it was from Nagihiko. She picked it up.

"Hey Nagi!" Amu greeted. Rhythm had a frightened expression apparent on his face.

"Hey Amu-Chan… I'm assuming my charas are with you, right?"

"Yeah they are."

"Alright. Hey, can you meet me at the park in a few minutes?" Nagihiko asked.

"Yeah sure, that's fine! See you there!" Amu hung up, and grabbed her purse.

"Where are we going?" Temari asked.

"We're meeting Nagi at the park. He's coming to get you guys back." Amu explained. Horror struck Rhythm.

"Nagi is super pissed at me! He's going to scream at me again! Help me!" Rhythm whined.

"Nagi sounded calmer on the phone, so I'm sure he'll be fine. You know Nagi; he almost never gets mad," Amu tried to reassure.

"Unless you character change him and help him kiss his crush," Rhythm grumbled. Amu sighed, and walked downstairs. She ate a quick breakfast which consisted of a breakfast bar, and exited her house. Amu's charas floated around her, with the obvious exception of Dia. Temari floated beside them, and Rhythm hid in Amu's hair.

* * *

When Amu got to the park, she was surprised to see Nagihiko already sitting on a bench. Amu sweat dropped, astonished at how fast he arrived. Amu sat beside him. Nagihiko turned to face her, and smiled.

"Hey Amu-Chan," Nagihiko greeted.

"Hey Nagi, what's up?" Amu wondered.

"Well… not much really. It's been quiet at my place without Temari and Rhythm." Temari floated over to Nagihiko, and smiled.

"Sorry I didn't go home with you Nagi; I wanted to keep Rhythm company." Temari admitted.

"It's alright; I'm not angry." Nagihiko replied. "I'm not angry at you either Rhythm." Rhythm pulled on Amu's hair, making Amu flinch in pain.

"Rhythm, get out of Amu-Chan's hair." Temari instructed. Rhythm sighed, revealing himself to Nagihiko. Nagihiko looked up at Rhythm, giving him a small smile.

"I apologize for screaming at you yesterday. I was not quite sure how to react to what happened. I was caught in the moment, and I frankly was simply afraid. I visibly saw what happened to Rima-Chan, Kukai, and Hotori-San, and I was frightened to be in that position." Nagihiko sighed.

"It's okay Nagi! I'm sorry I character changed you…" Rhythm muttered. Nagihiko chuckled slightly.

"It's alright. I suppose I cannot deny that I did want to express my feelings to her one way or another, and you took an unexpected approach to that. I definitely would not have told her right away, so at least that's off my shoulders." Rhythm smiled at Nagihiko, and floated onto his shoulder.

"Hey Nagi, how are you feeling? Have you been coughing at all?" Amu asked. Nagihiko turned to face Amu.

"Unlike the other three, I have not experienced coughing yet. It's probable that I will receive the virus, but I am curious as to why I have not started coughing yet. I'm not experiencing any symptoms though," Nagihiko explained. "You haven't either after the situation with Ikuto, right?" Amu nodded slowly, the realization occurring to her. How come she had not felt sick at all since her encounter with Ikuto?

"I was coughing slightly the day after, but it was nothing major," Amu admitted. "I haven't coughed since."

"That's strange…" Nagihiko pondered for a moment. "Maybe each person's development of the disease varies by person?"

"That would make sense. Don't people have colds with different symptoms?" Amu wondered. Nagihiko nodded.

"Then why did Rima-Chan's development of the X-Virus mirror Kukai's?" Nagihiko wondered. "Even Hotori-San's isn't too much different."

"Oh yeah. Tadase-Kun called me today with his…impulse thing." Amu explained.

"That makes sense. What did he say?" Nagihiko asked.

"Uh… well… err… Let's just say it was the opposite of anything you would ever expect Tadase to say." Nagihiko sweat dropped.

"I'll let my imagination take over…" Nagihiko sweat dropped. "I should get going. My mother wanted me to get home as soon as possible to practice my dancing. See you soon Amu-Chan!"

"Bye Nagi!" Amu waved, as Nagihiko stood up and walked away.

"Oh Nagi! Amu-Chan forgot to tell you something!" Rhythm exclaimed. Nagihiko glanced at his chara.

"What's up?" Nagihiko wondered. Rhythm explained what happened with Dia this morning. "That's peculiar. It sounds almost like a prophecy or something."

"That's what Miki said too," Temari remembered.

"Oh… I guess we'll have to wait and see what that means later. I don't see any way to figure out what that means." Nagihiko arrived at home, and changed into his kimono. He tied his long purple hair into a ponytail, and started to the door. Suddenly, he felt extremely lightheaded. The world seemed to be spinning. Nagihiko took a step forward towards the door, and immediately fell backward. The world suddenly blacked.

* * *

When Nagihiko opened his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of Baaya who was over him. He felt an ice pack on his forehead.

"What happened?" Nagihiko wondered, sitting up.

"Young master, lie down." Baaya instructed. Nagihiko complied. "You fainted before going to practice your dancing. You have a high fever, and your face is extremely pale. I will go get you some medicine." Nagihiko nodded, as Baaya left the room to get medicine.

"I guess it's coming now." Temari sighed.

"How long was I out for?" Nagihiko wondered.

"About two hours." Temari explained.

"Oh…" Nagihiko scratched the back of his head. "I guess I wasn't spared from the disease…" Rhythm looked down.

* * *

Utau stuffed her hands in her pockets, as she walked down the streets. A hood was over her head, covered her eyes. She didn't know where to go. She knew that Gravatus was still searching for her. Kukai obviously couldn't hold on to him forever. However, she still appreciated his efforts.

As Utau passed a house, she realized it looked slightly familiar. Although it was late at night, the lights were still on. In the window, she saw a little girl facing the other direction, as she brushed her hair. As Utau looked closely, she soon realized that it wasn't actually a little girl, but it was Rima Mashiro. Utau observed that the window was opened slightly. Utau transformed with El, and quietly flew into the window crack, squeezing herself through. Rima was oblivious to the presence of Utau. Utau arrived in her room, and ended her transformation. Rima suddenly turned around, and screamed seeing Utau.

"Shh!" Utau hissed, pulling down her hood. Rima quieted herself, realizing who it was.

"What the hell are you doing in my room?!" Rima exclaimed.

"I recognized your house, and your window was slightly opened, so I crept in. I need somewhere to hide." Utau explained. Embarrassed, Rima quickly shut her window.

"I thought you were staying at Sanjou-San's place?" Rima wondered.

"I was, but I'm giving them space because Yukari's pregnant and I don't want to interfere with that." Utau explained.

"Look Utau, don't you realize I'm sick? I already got someone sick, and I don't want to have someone else infected with the X-Virus."

"Who did you get sick?" Utau wondered.

"Nagi. Weren't you there yesterday when… oh yeah you left early."

"What happened?"

"It's not important. What is important is the fact that you're likely to get sick if you are in here." Rima muttered.

"I'll keep a safe distance." Utau promised. "Look, I need somewhere to stay. I know it's a lot for you, but my brother just died, and…"

"Wait, what!?" Rima's eyes widened. Tears fell down Utau's cheeks. "H-How?!"

"He killed himself." Utau mumbled.

"I-I'm sorry…" Rima suddenly felt awkward. "You can stay here, if you want. Just try to be quiet, because my parents would not be fond of you staying here."

"Thanks." Utau muttered.

"Utau, what are you doing here?!" Utau turned, not expecting to see what she saw.

"I thought you said he was dead…?" Rima wondered.

"…IKUTO!?" Utau exclaimed. Ikuto was standing on the opposite side of the room.

"Wait, what?! How are you not…?!" Utau ran to the other side of the room, attempting to embrace him. Ikuto ducked out of the way, not wanting his sister to get sick.

"I landed on a tree before I fell all the way. I changed my mind mid-jump."

"Are you serious?! I almost killed myself for you! I was crying so much!" Utau exclaimed.

"Can you guys be quieter?" Rima hissed. She was ignored.

"Sorry."

"SORRY?! THAT'S YOUR REPLY?! EXCUSE ME, I CONTEMPLATED SUICIDE LIKE 5 TIMES TODAY! AND ALL YOU'RE SAYING IS SORRY?!"

"Utau… I…" Ikuto's expression grew solemn. "You need to leave now."

"I WANT AN EXPLANATION!" Utau screamed.

"I'll explain everything after. There's more to why I changed my mind. You need to leave."

"BUT YOU NEED TO…" Suddenly, Rima's door flung open, revealing her mother. Rima gasped.

"Momma! These are my friends! They're staying here because they, um, well, um…"

"You can't just invite friends over without informing us!" Rima's mother shouted.

"But mom…"

"Leave our house NOW." Rima's mother faced Utau and Ikuto. They nodded slowly, apologizing quickly.

"It wasn't Rima's fault. We snuck into her room because we were playing a prank. Don't be angry at her." Utau lied.

"Get out!" Rima's mother bellowed. Without thinking for a second, Utau and Ikuto opened the window, and jumped out. As they left the house, they could hear Rima's mother screaming loudly at the petite girl. She screamed insults and threats at her.

"Wow, her mother is awfully rude." Ikuto muttered. Utau nodded slowly, but turned to Ikuto.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you. I just… the thought of being apart from you was terrible. You're my brother, and I need you." Utau looked at the ground.

"You have every right to be angry." Ikuto soothed. "I promise, I'll explain everything later. I need to go now though. I just need you to send one message."

"What?" Utau muttered.

"Tell Amu that it was a mistake. All of it."

"Amu understands that it was involuntary what you did to her. The other infected guardians did the same thing." Utau explained.

"I'm not referring to that necessarily. I'm referring to our whole relationship, or whatever you would call that." Darkness shielded his eyes. Utau's eyes widened.

"But Ikuto, you love her…"

"I can't be with her anymore. Tell her that, okay?" Utau nodded slowly. "Utau, be careful. No matter what happens, stay safe."

"I'll try." Utau replied. "You too." Ikuto didn't look at her, as he suddenly evacuated the scene.

**This was a long chapter and extremely important! Please review/alert/favorite! The next update probably won't be as soon as this one. I hope you all enjoyed! **


	8. VIII

**Finally, another update! I would have tried to update sooner, but I live in an area where Hurricane Sandy struck. So, that made that a little difficult. I own nothing, except for the concept of the X-Virus and all OCs (Gravatus) and enjoy!**

Ordinarily, students would wake up and go to school on a Monday. It was often the most dreaded day of the week, since they are coming from two days off from school. However, for students who attended Seiyo Academy and the Middle School, school was cancelled. The reason the district gave for the cancellation was due to the increasing amount of parents calling in for sick children. Of the entire district, over half of the students were sick. However, the cause of the plethora of students that were sick was so much more involved. One of those students included Rima.

She was the first of her vast group of friends to get sick, along with Kukai to become infected. From that moment, it had been getting worse by the day. It wasn't even a gradual change. After she threw up on the first day, she had been feeling groggy. On the outside, it was very evident that she was sick as well. Her eyes were bloodshot red, her face was as pale as a ghost, and her body was decorated with goose-bumps. Whenever she was in her house, which she only left once since she got sick, she had a blanket wrapped around her. Although she looked terrible, it did not even match how she felt internally.

With a continuous sore throat, a constant headache, and sporadically throwing up, Rima felt like crap. Lately, it had been getting worse. Moving from her position seemed like such an arduous activity. When she was at the Royal Garden being used as an experiment, it literally hurt so much to be there. It felt like there was an immense pain within her chest, and every time she moved, it hurt terribly.

As she woke up that morning, she found herself in a lot of pain, more pain than she ever experienced before. She yelped, unable to prevent the pain. Hot tears fell down her cheeks uncontrollably. She attempted to breathe, but the pain would not be alleviated, and in fact, hurt more. Gradually, she sat up, which did not improve the pain, and made her way to a mirror. Like usual, she looked like a zombie. However, she noticed something unordinary. As she looked at her pupils, there was a tint of blackness. It seemed to shine. When Rima blinked, it was still there. Perplexed, she pulled out her cell phone, and decided to call Kairi. Along with Nagihiko, he had been keeping track of all of the symptoms, so it would make sense she called him, considering there was no way she was confronting Nagihiko now. As she dialed his number and pressed sent, she felt the pain increase within her chest.

"Hello?" Kairi's kind voice spoke into the phone. She took a deep breath, before replying.

"H-Hey, it is Rima." Her voice sounded scratchy and hoarse. She coughed.

"Mashiro-San? You sound awful," Kairi told her. "What happened?" Rima explained the immense pain in her chest and the black tint in her eye. As she spoke, it hurt her even more. Her knees sunk to the ground.

"TAKE ADVIL!" Rima heard a voice, easily inferred as Yaya, scream from the other end.

"Tell Yaya that I would but we're out of it and my parents are busy fighting to buy more and notice me," Rima grumbled grudgingly.

"Mashiro-San, when was the last time that your parents took care of you while you were ill?" Kairi asked.

"Well, my mother came to my room yesterday when the Tsukiyomi siblings were at my house. She was pissed at me and she yelled some insults and threats at me." Rima chuckled slightly, despite the melancholy she felt. "However, that's really the only time either one has come to my room in the last week."

"Tsukiyomi-San mentioned that the other day. Mashiro-San, I do not believe that staying at your house is the wisest idea." Rima's eyes perked up surprised.

"Where else would I go?" Suddenly, the pain greatly increased. Rima started shaking, unable to tolerate it any longer.

"It is likely that you could inhabit the…" Suddenly, Kairi's eloquent speech seemed irrelevant. Rima screamed, feeling the pain that suddenly took over, before her consciousness was engulfed by darkness.

* * *

"Mashiro-San!" Kairi cried. "Are you alright? What happened?" There was silence from Rima's end. Kairi grew worried. From what Rima described, Kairi inferred that the feeling in her chest must have been severely painful. He wondered if that led to her abrupt squeal of pain. He glanced at his phone, seeing that Rima did not hang up. He wondered if she passed out.

"Where's Rima-Tan?" Kairi's thoughts were interrupted by Yaya's innocent and upbeat voice. He looked at her for a moment, a small smile crossing his face. Yaya cocked her head, puzzled.

"Her line suddenly went dead. She screamed, and then stopped speaking," Kairi explained, hanging up the phone officially.

"Oh no! Wait, why are you smiling about that?" Kairi blushed, and stopped smiling.

"I-It was, err, unrelated to Mashiro-San," Kairi faltered, embarrassed. Yaya nodded, oblivious.

"She just started screaming?" Kairi looked up, surprised to see Utau.

"That is correct. Tsukiyomi-San, I thought you were showering?"

"I finished." Utau looked at Kairi. "I heard you suggest that she should stay here. Is that even wise? She's sick. Isn't it risky to have her in the same house as your sister? She's pregnant you don't want to screw with her pregnancy." Kairi looked at the ground.

"It was just a proposal. I understand my sister's position, but Mashiro-San has a hard home life anyway, and it might just make logical sense to keep her here," Kairi explained.

"Kairi-Kun! When are we going to the Royal Garden? Amu-Chi and Nagi-Tan are waiting!" Kairi looked up at Yaya, surprised.

"Nagihiko-San is going? Isn't he sick?"

"Amu-Chi said that Nagi-Tan wasn't feeling very sick yesterday. Perhaps he's running on the same schedule as Kukai-Tan and Rima-Tan! He'll puke today!"

"That's reassuring Yaya-Chan…" Kairi muttered.

"So, you said that Mashiro-San needs a place to stay?" All three pairs of eyes glanced up, looking at Yukari. Now that Kairi knew she was pregnant for a little less than a week, he could visibly see it. Although she wasn't showing greatly, it was noticeable. "Don't be ridiculous Utau; of course she can stay here! We have some extra rooms for her to stay in. Bring Kukai and the other sick guardians here too." Yukari beamed.

"Well, actually, Kairi-Kun and Yaya are the only guardians. The rest are ex-guardians!" Yaya corrected. Kairi rolled his eyes at Yaya.

"Does Mashiro-San need us to give her a ride?" Nikaidou wondered, walking beside his wife.

"Before she abruptly stopped speaking, I was beginning to propose the idea of her staying here. So, it is likely that she is unaware of this idea. However, I would like to go to her house to see how she is doing. However, it does not make logical sense for us to go alone, because we are all healthy."

"Bring Kukai." Everyone looked at Utau, surprised. "I spoke to him earlier this morning, and he did not mention feeling in pain this morning the way Rima was stressing it. Besides, he's sick, so he can help bring Rima home."

"Let's go get Kukai!" Yukari started walking to the door.

"Wait, Yukari! Maybe you should rest. I can go." Nikaidou announced. Yukari turned to him, and shook her head.

"I'm three months in Yuu; I can handle driving." Yukari grabbed the car keys, and left the house, with Kairi, Yaya, and Utau following. Utau dialed Kukai's number, and told him that they were going to his house. Yukari got into the driver's seat, with Kairi on the passenger's seat. Yaya and Utau went into the back seat, pulling down a seat in the middle row to get into the back. As everyone buckled into their seats, Yukari started driving. For a few minutes, there was silence.

"Hey Utau-Chi! When's your wedding?" Utau raised an eyebrow at Yaya.

"Does that require a response?" Yaya nodded her head vigorously. "Well, you're not getting one. How about Kairi and you? I see the faces you give each other." Kairi's face turned dark red. Yukari gave a loud chuckle. Kairi had told Yukari about Yaya and him recently, and Yukari had been extremely excited.

"This is Kukai's house, right?" Yukari wondered.

"Yes it is! Yaya's gone here sooooo many times that it's practically her house also!" Yaya giggled in excitement. A very ill-looking Kukai made his way out of his house, a backpack on his back. He climbed into the middle row of the car.

"Hey everyone!" Kukai croaked. He looked at Utau for a moment, studying her. Utau glanced back at him, sighing.

"Look, can we not get into that? He's fine and it's okay, so it doesn't matter," Utau grumbled.

"What are you talking about?" Yaya wondered, puzzled.

"It doesn't matter Yaya!" Kukai gave her a grin. "So, onwards to Rima's house!" When silence filled the air, except for Yaya's giggles and constant nudging to Utau, the charas turned to each other to play. Kukai gave them a melancholic smile, evidently missing Daichi.

Finally, they arrived at Rima's house. Everyone got out, with the exception of Yukari.

"I'll wait here for you guys," She offered. The others nodded, and walked towards her house.

"Dibs on knocking the door!" Yaya giggled, and ran towards the door. The others sighed, and followed her. Kukai attempted to catch up, but the X-Virus hindered him, forcing him to be the last one to arrive at the door. Yaya knocked loudly on the door. Rima's mother answered the door.

"What do you want?" She muttered.

"Hello, we are here to see your daughter, Rima. We are classmates of hers, and we wanted to know how she was doing," Kairi explained. Utau hid behind Kukai, afraid that they would recognize her from the previous night.

"Don't let them in; you remember last time when people approached our daughter."

"I wasn't going to! But those were grown men!"

"You were going to trust them!"

"No I wasn't!"

"Yes you were! You were going to entrust them with our daughter that has been kidnapped and suffered greatly. You do not know how to treat our daughter."

"Excuse me?! I'm always there to drive her to school and take care of her when she's sick. I don't see you there for her!"

_That's quite contradictory to what she told me this morning_. Kairi thought, observing the fighting between both parents.

"Can you both just quit with it?" All eyes turned to the petite blonde who stood on top of the stairs. "I'm sick, and frankly, neither of you have helped." Rima stepped forward, and with her luck, tripped on her foot. Screaming, she fell down the stairs, hitting the ground. Both parents watched her for a moment, and then immediately went back to bickering. Rima looked like she was about to start crying.

"Rima-Tan!" Yaya cried, starting to run over to her.

"Yaya, you can't," Kairi whispered, holding her back. "I know you would like to help her, but she is still infected. It is highly risky." Yaya nodded slowly. Kukai went over to her, and helped her up.

"You okay Mashiro?" Kukai wondered, flashing a grin.

"Oh, I don't know. My chest is hurting like hell, I passed out, and my parents won't stop fighting: Evidently, I'd say I'm pretty good." Rima clenched her fists, when tears started pouring out of her eyes.

"You're getting too old to cry. Stop acting like a six-year-old," Her father grumbled, facing her mother again. That only resulted in more tears. Kukai hugged her for a moment.

"This is just as friends Rima; the romance is reserved for Nagi." Kukai whispered. Rima's eyes widened in bewilderment. She shot Kukai a huge glare, before backing up. Her face grew a tint of red however. Kairi looked at Rima, and noticed the blackness in her eyes that she spoke of. It was difficult not to notice. He furrowed his eyebrows, studying it for a moment. What did it mean?

"Hey Mashiro parents! Rima-Tan is leaving and going to Kairi-Tan's house to get better! BYE-BYE!" Yaya waved at them. Rima gave Yaya a small smile, before following the others out of the house. It seemed extremely abrupt for Kairi, and it appalled him how terribly Rima's parents treated her. He suddenly pitied Rima immensely. Everyone climbed into the car. Rima struggled to get inside, since her leg hurt her when she fell down the stairs. Kukai helped her in the car. Suddenly, Kairi's cell phone began ringing.

"Hello?" Kairi asked into his phone.

"Hey, it's Amu. Where are you guys?" Kairi's eyes widened, forgetting entirely about the guardian meeting.

"W-We will be there momentarily," Kairi replied. He hung up with Amu. "Yukari, could you take us to the Royal Garden?"

"Gladly!" Yukari drove everyone to the Royal Garden. It only took about two minutes, which surprised Kairi. He knew that Rima always was driven to Seiyo, so he was surprised that she couldn't just walk.

When the car stopped, everyone, except for Yukari, got out. They thanked her, and headed to the Royal Garden. Rima was limping.

"Mashiro-San, what occurred on the phone previously?" Kairi asked, walking beside her, yet keeping a safe distance.

"I passed out," Rima replied bluntly. Kairi watched, as Rima struggled to walk accurately.

"I understand if you do not want to be burdened with pity from others; I would feel the same way, but I would like to let you know that I apologize for what you have to go through, and I am always here if you desire to speak with anyone," Kairi said. Rima turned to him, flashing him a small smile.

"Thanks Kairi. I appreciate that. I'm just content to be staying at your place." Kairi smiled back. They walked inside the Royal Garden. Amu and Nagihiko were sitting on their respectful chairs, chatting. They both glanced up, smiling at the others.

"Oh joy… just when I thought it couldn't get worse…" Rima grumbled. She averted eye contact with Nagihiko. When Nagihiko noticed her presence, his smile immediately evaporated. He quickly looked at the ground.

"Sorry we took a while! We had some, err, issues to take care of." Kukai explained, plopping down on the couch. Rima limped over to the couch, and took a seat beside him. Nagihiko observed her limp. He raised an eyebrow, but still refused to look at her.

"Nagihiko-San, how are you feeling?" Kairi asked kindly.

"I'm alright." Nagihiko backed up his answer with a smile. "Based on Kukai, Hotori-San, and Rima-Chan's reactions, I thought I would be worse today, but the truth is that I don't feel too sick, and…"

"You're lying." Nagihiko forced a glance at the cause of his sickness. Rima fiddled with her fingers, but didn't glance upward.

"I'm not lying…"

"Sure you are Fujisaki. You're speaking awfully quickly. Although you don't look that sick, it's evident that you are keeping something."

"Well, Mashiro Rima, I happened to notice that you were limping. Care to explain?"

"Y-You're bluffing!" Rima coughed slightly.

"So are you. Now, why don't you explain?" Nagihiko placed his head on his fist, and gave her a smug grin. Rima darted her eyes upward, and shot him a glare. Kairi noticed once again the darkness in Rima's eyes.

"I-It's none of your business!" Rima muttered.

"Then how I feel is none of your business either."

"Okay, Rima fell down the stairs, and her parents are being terrible, so she's living with Yukari and Nikaidou-San like Kairi and I. That's why she's limping. Plus, she passed out previously and is experiencing a ton of pain in her chest," Utau muttered. Nagihiko's eyes softened, glancing at Rima. Rima shot Utau a glare.

"Why would you-"

"I'm probably not alone here when I say I want to learn more about Fujisaki's side of the story, whatever he is keeping from us." All eyes were on Nagihiko now.

"I…" Nagihiko sighed. "Fine, I concede; I was lying when I said I was alright. The truth is, similarly to Rima, I fainted yesterday. After that, I began developing a fever and I still have one at the moment. I have this pounding headache that blocks me from thinking straight at times. Currently, it is not too bad, but it will be later. Also, at random times, I suddenly get light-headed and dizzy." It was Rima's turn to glance at Nagihiko with pity.

"Why were you so hesitant to tell us?" Amu wondered.

"I thought that we would have bigger concerns to focus on, rather than shower me with pity," Nagihiko murmured. "Sorry, I just didn't want to divert your attention to my issues. Rima-Chan looks terrible; taking care of her should be a bigger concern." Rima blushed.

"Mashiro-San, I notice what you were referring to before, about your eyes." Rima glanced at Kairi. "It is difficult to not notice. I believe it is significant. It also intrigues me that Nagihiko-San is enduring different symptoms opposed to Mashiro-San, Souma-Kun, and Hotori-San."

"I have noticed that as well. Perhaps when each person is infected with the X-Virus, they experience different variations of the symptoms," Nagihiko hypothesized, turning to Rima.

"That makes sense. You're probably right," Rima muttered. Nagihiko beamed at her. Rima's cheeks reddened.

"For god's sake, you two need to stop flirting!" Kukai muttered. Nagihiko blushed as well, shooting Kukai a glare.

"I'm still curious about what Dia said." Amu re-explained the prophecy Dia spoke of. Kairi pondered for a moment.

"That is intriguing. Evidently it is connected to this X-Virus." Kairi thought aloud.

"Wait, what eternal love? How the hell does love have to do with this?" Kukai wondered.

"Amu's in love with Ikuto and he seems important somehow. But she's also in love with Tadase, so that's problematic," Rima stated.

"Rima!" Amu whined. Rima smirked slightly. Utau's eyes lowered slightly.

"That would make sense… but they can't break up then. I can't tell Amu about Ikuto's wishes to never see her again, because they are likely connected to that." Everyone looked at Utau. Amu's eyes widened. "Oh, I said that out loud…"

"Ikuto…doesn't want to see me again?!" Amu exclaimed.

"He told me to tell you that, but he was obviously lying. He's avoiding you for some reason." Amu nodded wistfully.

"Oh…"

"The incoming darkness…" Kairi repeated. "Mashiro-San…"

"My eyes." Rima realized what Kairi was saying. "Are they connected to any of this?" Everyone looked at Rima, suddenly looking into her eyes.

"Yeah, there's a shade of black within them," Nagihiko observed, blushing slightly. He turned to Kukai for a moment. "Yet, Kukai doesn't have it…"

"Aw Rima! I guess we're not going at the same rate anymore of sickness." Kukai put his thumb downward.

"What a shame…" Rima muttered sarcastically.

"Ikuto's eyes were darker than normal yesterday," Utau remembered. "I didn't look that closely, but it is likely that it is connected to everything else."

"It makes sense." Suddenly, there was a car waiting outside. "That is likely my sister. She wanted to get Mashiro-San and Souma-Kun settled. Nagihiko-San, would you like to stay over? It seems my place is becoming that where the infected are staying."

"I would appreciate that. Thanks." Nagihiko smiled. "The truth is my mother and Baaya just left this morning to go to Europe." Everyone looked at Nagihiko, surprised. "I knew I might be going for a while, but nothing was definitive. However, it made the decision when I got sick. Since my mother and Baaya officially bought the plane tickets, they departed, but left me. I definitely would prefer staying at someone's place. I just need to collect some clothing."

"That is fine. Does anyone else need a ride?"

"I guess I'll come, if your sister doesn't mind," Amu said, smiling.

"Yaya too!" Yaya bounced up. Everyone started walking to the car. Rima still struggled to walk. Nagihiko waited for her, and placed his arm around her shoulders, helping to support her. A small, but noticeable smile crossed Rima's face. Kairi sat in the front. Amu, Yaya, and Utau took the front row seats respectively, while Kukai, Nagihiko, and Rima took their seats in the back respectively. It turned out that Yuu was driving this time. When Kairi turned around, he noticed Yaya playing with Utau's hair, Amu watching them, Rima and Nagihiko holding hands and looking extremely shy, and Kukai giving them sly smirks. Yuu dropped everyone off, and brought Nagihiko to his home to retrieve his stuff.

They arrived at their house, and made the three infected guardians comfortable. Rima had her own room, and Kukai and Nagihiko shared a room with separate beds. Kairi sat on his bed for a moment, thinking about the day. He slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

While all of the guardians, ex-guardians, and Utau gradually fell to sleep, they did not know of the major troubles that were just beginning to confront them. Ikuto stood on the roof of his old house, listening to the noises of the night. He closed his eyes, and relaxed. He felt a dark aura take over. There was nothing he could do about it. After a few minutes, the Ikuto that everyone once knew and loved was no longer there.

**Cliffhanger? I guess you could call it that. I know the end sounds weird, but trust me; it will be explained next chapter. Also, things about Amu will likely be explained! I apologize to Tadamu fans for the lack of Tadase and their romance, but he'll come in next chapter definitely. Please review/favorite/alert! Hope you enjoyed the abundance of RimaHiko!**


	9. IX

**Yay next chapter! This chapter is going to be very revealing. The song Viva La Vida gave me inspiration. I own nothing, and enjoy!**

The bulky man glanced out his window, admiring the city. Cars innocently drove by, and people walked on the streets. The city was quite large, so there were many people. However, only a few people would notice the large decrease in people walking, and it was all thanks to Gravatus. A sly grin crossed Gravatus's face. All of these streets would be his, the city in his possession. Nothing would ever be the same, when his goal was reached. Each day, the end goal seemed to become more vivid in his mind. It seemingly became more possible. He was confident that his goal would be completed. He coughed into his arm. Perhaps it was foolish, to rule the land. It was a childish game. Perhaps that's all he was, an child that only wanted to beat his brother at something for once in his life. However, Gravatus was confident; he knew he could do it.

"Sir." Gravatus turned, facing two employees of his. Gravatus cocked an eyebrow. "Tsukiyomi seems to be progressing well. The X-Virus seems to be fully engulfing him."

"Perfect. It seems my plans are progressing as planned." Gravatus laughed. "Things are not going to remain the same from now on. Now that Ikuto has entered the next stage, the guardians are in for a pleasant surprise. They will soon be disposed of. Nothing will lie in our way. My brother seems to not be showing up. It's as if he does not care. Impeccable. Release Ikuto, and his power. Allow the world to see the darkness they will be forever experiencing." Gravatus turned around. Suddenly, he felt the world rocking back and forth. "What's going on?!" Gravatus cried.

"Sir, nothing is going on. We are about to release Ikuto, as you instructed." Gravatus nodded, although the rocking feeling would not escape.

"Yes, good. Allow my nephew to impose destruction on the city. It will be perfect, just…" Gravatus fell to the ground, everything turning black.

"Sir! Sir, are you alright?" Gravatus could no longer hear anything.

* * *

The rain was pouring, rapidly hitting the window with a thump. Rain was Yaya's favorite weather condition. She threw on her yellow rain jacket, put on her bright pink rain boots, and grabbed her umbrella plastered with images of duckies, and jogged out of her house. She ran across the puddles, happily stepping in each one. She giggled, as water popped up above her. Pepe floated behind her, almost as exuberant as Yaya. She jumped from puddle to puddle, allowing the water to fall on her. Her rain boots were now muddy, but Yaya didn't care. She was having too much fun. She was supposed to be going to Kairi's house, but she was taking a detour.

_Boom!_ Thunder was heard from far away. Yaya turned, but shrugged it off, enjoying her time in the puddles. She knew that her mother would kill her for this, but Yaya didn't care. She jumped into more puddles.

"Yaya look out!" Pepe screamed. Yaya turned, and screamed at the sight she saw. A tall figure stood in front of her, darkness emitting from him. His eyes were pitch black like the night sky. What scared Yaya the most was who it was; the midnight blue hair was enough to give it away. He extended his arm, and shot darkness at her. Yaya did not move, petrified in fear.

"Yaya!" Suddenly, she was shoved out of the way, narrowly missing the darkness. Luckily, the boy that had saved her was spared from harm as well. Yaya landed on her feet, glancing up at her boyfriend. He did not wear his glasses, since he was transformed. He looked like a real samurai. Yaya couldn't help but to think how adorable he was.

"Kairi-Kun, you saved Yaya!" Yaya squealed.

"Yaya-Chan, transform," Kairi instructed. Yaya nodded, performing her usual routine with Pepe. She landed beside Kairi. It was odd, seeing a baby next to a samurai. It was even stranger, considering they were a couple.

"What's going on with Ikuto-Tan anyway?" Yaya wondered.

"I am unsure at the moment. It appears to be some side-effect from the virus. Evidently, he cannot control his actions." Yaya jumped up, dodging another attack from Ikuto.

"Where's everyone else?" Yaya wondered.

"They are back at my place. We were getting worried, since you were an hour and a half late. So, I went out to search for you. How long have you been fighting Ikuto?"

"Yaya just found him when you found Yaya. Yaya was late because she was playing in the puddles!" Yaya admitted, with a huge grin. Kairi face-palmed.

"Yaya-Chan, it is probably wise if we simply flee. We are not prepared for this," Kairi explained, as they heard another crash of thunder. Yaya nodded. Kairi took her hand, and started to run with her. Yaya sighed, as they avoided the puddles. Ikuto did not follow them. They arrived back at Kairi's house. Kairi opened his door.

"Oh my gosh, you both are soaking wet!" Amu exclaimed. Yaya shivered, adapting to the AC. "You're going to catch a cold."

"Well, I don't think a cold is what everyone's worried about…" Kukai muttered. Yaya grinned at Kukai. Kukai grinned back. He looked terrible, but not any worse than the previous day. Yukari walked over to the two of them, and handed them both towels. Kairi thanked his sister, and wrapped himself in a towel. Yaya did the same, but also removed the hair ties that kept her hair in pigtails. Everyone gaped at Yaya. Kairi and Yaya sat down on a couch. Amu and Utau sat on a different one, and so did Kukai, Nagihiko, and Tadase.

"Tada-Tan, it's been a while!" Yaya exclaimed.

"Yes it has been. I'm sorry I haven't been with you guys for a while. My mother has not been letting me out of the house. I had to tell her that Sanjou-San was a professional doctor and my other friends were here with her as well," Tadase explained. He looked terrible as well. Even Nagihiko looked sick now as well.

"How are you three?" Yaya asked.

"Nagi left the bedroom a lot last night. Half the times were for puking and the other half was to visit Rima!" Nagihiko's face grew flustered.

"Well, Kukai called Utau last night even though she was in the room over. Of course I was going to go to Rima-Chan if he was speaking to Utau," Nagihiko replied. Both of their voices sounded hoarse.

"Nagi, it surprises me how poorly you're doing on one of your first days of being sick. It's almost as if you caught up with Tadase-Kun," Amu stated, worry apparent in her voice.

"Yeah, I guess…" Nagihiko leaned back on the couch.

"When Yuiki-San and I…"

"It's Yaya!" Yaya spat.

"When _Yaya_ and I were outside in the rain, we came across Tsukiyomi-Kun. There appeared to be darkness secreting from him. Yaya-Chan and I found it difficult to keep up with him," Kairi explained.

"Ikuto…" Utau murmured. "What the hell is Gravatus's problem?!"

"Ha-ha, Gravatus is going to be sick," Kukai grinned.

"How so?" Nagihiko wondered, turning to his friend.

"A few nights ago, I came across Utau and Ikuto on the roof, and I held back Gravatus and probably infected him."

"That didn't even occur to me…" Utau pondered for a moment. "Good job Souma." Kukai beamed.

"Anyway, I noticed Ikuto's eyes were dark, similarly to Mashiro-San," Kairi explained. He glanced at Kukai, Tadase, and Nagihiko. "You three have normal eyes. I wonder what spiked Mashiro-San's faster development."

"Where is Rima-Tan anyway?" Yaya wondered.

"I'm right here." Everyone looked up at the petite blonde. She looked like she just got out of bed. She had a blanket wrapped around her.

"Rima-Chan, your eyes…" Nagihiko whispered. He studied her, clearly worried.

"Yeah, I've noticed," Rima snapped. She softened. "Sorry, I'm not in a particularly pleasant mood." Her eyes were pitch black, the same way Ikuto's were. It was impossible to see Rima's actual eyes. Everyone watched, as Rima sighed and sat on Nagihiko's lap. He timidly wrapped his arms around her waist. Everyone gave them sad smiles.

"So…"

"What were you talking about with Ikuto?" Rima wondered. "His eyes were like mine?"

"Yes. Like yours, his was completely dark and it was impossible to see his eyes." Rima looked at the ground.

"What was he doing? He was just…" A loud crash interrupted Rima's speaking. Everyone looked up, suddenly aware of the presence of Ikuto. His dark blue hair was wet from the falling rain.

"Oh shit…" Kukai muttered. "Well, he's alive…"

"Ikuto…" Amu whispered. Tadase clenched his fists, but he looked up at Ikuto with pity.

"We have to fight him. Not in the house though." Kairi suggested.

"Yeah! Let's go outside in the rain!" Yaya grinned. "Yaya's own heart, unlock!" Along with Yaya, Kairi, Amu, Utau, and Nagihiko transformed.

"Times like this make me miss Daichi…" Kukai grumbled, placing his chin on his fist.

"It would be nice having Kiseki," Tadase agreed. Rima nodded as well.

"Why does Nagi still have Rhythm and Temari?" She wondered, twirling a strand of blonde hair. They shrugged.

"Ikuto! Come on, it's me!" Amu hissed. Ikuto paid no attention to Amu, and faced Yaya. He shot darkness in her direction. Yaya retaliated, sending duckies in his direction. Ikuto shot darkness at the duckies, making them turn black.

"Noooo my duckies!" Yaya cried. The duckies surrounded Ikuto. He crossed his arms.

"Am I the only one that finds it humorous that Ikuto has evil duckies surrounding him?" Kukai wondered, chuckling. Tadase and Rima just stared at him.

"Ikuto, snap out of this! This already happened to you. Don't you remember when you were already used by Easter? You can stop it again Ikuto, come on, please… it's your sister…" Utau looked like she was about to cry. Ikuto paid no attention to her.

"Lightning Blade!" Kairi yelled, tossing a electrical sword at Ikuto. Ikuto caught it, making that dark as well.

"Another score for Ikuto!" Kukai called, immediately following with series of coughs.

"Shut up Kukai!" Utau yelled. Kukai pouted. Tadase bit his lip to keep from laughing at Kukai.

"Ikuto please…" Amu begged. Tears ran down her face.

"Amu, this is going to sound ridiculous, but try hugging him." Everyone looked at Utau. "It worked last time, right?"

"Maybe…" Amu clenched her fists, and lunged towards Ikuto. He moved out of the way swiftly, landing on his feet. Suddenly, Ikuto was grabbed from behind, being tightly grabbed.

"Go for it Amu-Chan." Nagihiko smiled. Amu returned his smile, and walked towards Ikuto.

"Wait Amu-Chan! If you touch him, you'll get the X-Virus!" Tadase warned.

"I didn't get the X-Virus before when he kissed me. Why would it be any different?" Tadase looked at the ground. When Amu finally placed her arms around him and embraced him, Tadase's eyes darkened, differently than Rima's. Ikuto pushed Amu off of him, sending her flying to the ground. Amu's eyes widened. He kicked Nagihiko backward, forcing him to bellow in pain.

"Nagi!" Rima cried. She stood up, and knelt beside him. His transformation with Rhythm abruptly ended. Rima placed his head on her lap, gently stroking his hair. Nagihiko blushed.

"Nagi… Be careful…" Temari whispered.

"You'll be great, man…" Rhythm put his thumbs up.

"Temari…Rhythm…no please! I need you guys…" Nagihiko begged. Their eggs enclosed around them, and the egg disappeared. Nagihiko's eyes widened. Tears fell down his face. He rapidly wiped them away, hoping nobody noticed. "Twice this happens…" He murmured.

"It's okay Nagi… We'll cure this soon, and you'll get them back!" Amu promised. Nagihiko gave her a small smile. Amu stood up, and faced Ikuto. "Ikuto!" Amu cried. Ikuto held up his hand, and shot darkness at her. Amu cart-wheeled.

Suddenly, darkness started to engulf Ikuto.

"Ikuto!" Utau shouted. "What's going on?!"

"Your time is coming. You are going to be like me tomorrow." Ikuto stuck a shaky finger at Rima. Her eyes widened. He faced Amu. "You are special. Unique Amu Hinamori, the girl with the immunity."

"What?" Amu looked up, confused.

"You are immune to the great dangers. You are like a mirror, being able to reflect the X-Virus." Ikuto smirked, before vanishing entirely. Amu's eyes widened, as she ran over to the spot Ikuto previously stood.

"Ikuto! What are you talking about?! Where are you?! Ikuto? IKUTO!" Amu fell to her knees, and started sobbing.

"You're immune…" Utau looked at Amu, ending her character transformation. "No wonder you didn't get sick…"

"But…why me?" Amu sniffled.

"Ikuto-NiiSan was right; you're special. Something special about you made you immune." Tadase knelt beside Amu. "If you are truly immune, then I can…" Tadase leaned towards Amu, and kissed her. Amu's eyes widened, obviously not expecting that. Her eyes slowly closed, as she kissed him back.

"Is now really the time?" Rima mumbled. She rolled her eyes. Nagihiko sat up, and moved beside her.

"That is clearly a symptom or end result of the X-Virus…" Kairi thought aloud.

"What, did he mean that…? I'm next?! Am I going to do that?! Tomorrow?!" Rima was panicking. She looked at Kairi.

"I am not sure, but it is likely…" Kairi gave Rima a smile of pity.

"Oh… Well, that's…reassuring," Rima mumbled sarcastically.

"No offense Rima, but how come you're the only one that is affected by this, and not me? Why are you moving quickly?" Kukai wondered.

"I don't know why I would take offense to that, but I have no idea. All I know is that I'm going to be attacking people tomorrow, like Ikuto." Rima hugged her legs close to her body, and curled into a ball. Nagihiko put his arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

"What perplexes me is why Tsukiyomi-Kun has taken three months to get to this stage, while it took Mashiro-San only a week. Souma-Kun brings up an interesting point; why isn't he doing this?" He looked at Rima for moment. "Maybe the X-Virus evolved and changed shape when it formed inside Mashiro-San?"

"I'm going to my room." Rima gingerly pushed Nagihiko's arm off of her, and stood up, going to her room. Everyone was silent for a moment.

"Poor Rima-Tan…" Yaya sighed. The rain subsided, leaving a beautiful rainbow in the sky.

"Yaya-Chan, Amu-Chan would you girls like a ride home?" Yukari offered.

"Alright, thanks Yukari-Tan!" Yaya stood up.

"Yeah… thanks…" Amu stood up as well, her face dark red. Tadase looked the other direction. When Yukari left with Amu and Yaya, everyone continued to be silent.

"So… how about Amu being immune? That's a good start! I wonder why…" Kukai said, breaking the silence.

"You would think the opposite, since she purifies so many X-Eggs…wait." Utau paused. "What if Amu, or I, attempts to purify the X-Virus from someone? Would that work?"

"Perhaps. We could test that theory on Mashiro-San tomorrow, since we do not have any other ideas," Kairi muttered.

"I'm feeling a bit drowsy, so I'm going to head upstairs," Nagihiko announced abruptly, sitting up.

"Where should Hotori-San sleep?" Kairi asked.

"If you have another mattress, Tadase can sleep in the same room as Nagi and me!" Kukai grinned. "Rima probably would rather be alone." Utau and Kairi got an air mattress, and set it up in their room. Tadase thanked them, and laid down on the bed. It didn't take him too long to fall to sleep. Kukai stuffed his head into his pillow, muttering a good night to Nagihiko. Nagihiko sat on his bed for a while, thinking. He looked out the window that was in their room. He could not imagine what motives Gravatus had that would sacrifice the lives of so many people. Easter always used heart's eggs, but they never killed people. Why was this new Easter so different? Nagihiko sighed, and sat up; realizing sleep would not come to him for a while. He glanced at Kukai and Tadase, seeing that they were fast asleep. He tiptoed out of the bedroom, and made his way to a different bedroom. He peered into the bedroom through the slight opening of the door. Inside, he saw Rima curled into a ball. Gently, he knocked on the door, not wanting to wake anyone else up.

"Come in," Rima instructed, not quite as quietly as Nagihiko knocked. He opened the door, and closed it behind him. Rima poked her head above her legs for a moment. She gave him a small smile which quickly evaporated.

"Hey…" Nagihiko returned the smile, sitting beside her.

"Hi," Rima replied bluntly. "Why are you here?"

"I found myself struggling to sleep, and I figured you wouldn't be asleep either…" Rima inched closer to him.

"Nope." She sighed. "I'm glad you came. It's better than talking to me or being alone in my thoughts."

"You can talk to me. You know I'll be there for you." Nagihiko's voice softened.

"I… I guess there's nothing really to say. I'm frightened, to say the least. Ikuto looked awful. I don't want to be like him. However, he said that I'm next. How would he know?" Nagihiko, slightly awkwardly, hugged her close to him. He blushed slightly, adding color to his pale face.

"The truth is, he probably knew from your eyes… He could be wrong though. It seems to be different from person to person. Your version of the X-Virus seems extremely different from Hotori-San and Kukai. Even mine is starting to develop differently than all of you. Perhaps this won't happen to you," Nagihiko tried to reassure.

"Nagi, don't be ridiculous. You just pointed out my eyes. I'm not going to be so fortunate." Tears ran down her soft cheeks. "Remember in the very beginning when Utau told us about the virus? She told us that…"

"Shh…" Nagihiko soothed, running his hand through her blonde hair.

"That could happen to me!" Rima pressed on. "It's a possibility. That's what the end result was supposed to be. Nagi, I'm probably going to die."

"You won't die Rima-Chan," Nagihiko muttered. "I'll make sure of that. Ikuto isn't dead."

"Not yet," Rima mumbled.

"Rima… Don't worry about it, alright? Leave that to us. Look, we're here for you. Try to relax; it's the best thing you can do."

"Easier said than done," Rima grumbled. Silence filled the room. Nagihiko sighed, looking around for a moment.

"The sky is pretty tonight, isn't it?" Nagihiko wondered, breaking the silence. He knew it was the most typical conversation starter, but he didn't care.

"Whatever. Nagi, what are we?" Nagihiko didn't look at Rima. The truth was he had been wondering the same thing. Ever since the previous day, they had been acting romantic around each other, but they weren't a couple or anything. Nagihiko had visibly professed his love for her by accident. Rhythm had been oblivious to the arising problem, and character changed him. Nagihiko almost felt guilty for his anger towards Rhythm. He missed his charas terribly. It soon occurred to Nagihiko that Rima never actually confessed to him. He only assumed it. He had been suspicious for a while, but she never said it. Their romantic behavior towards each other confirmed it though.

"I… don't know," Nagihiko finally said. He turned, facing Rima. "Rima-Chan, I have been wanting to tell you for a long time that I like you. Rhythm… made that easier I guess, although that's not the approach I would have taken. I mean, when it all comes down to it, it does not matter. It is likely I would have become infected anyway. I guess sharing my first kiss with the girl I like is one way of doing it." A small smile crossed his lips. Rima's face reddened.

"I like you too," Rima blurted. Nagihiko's smile only increased. "I guess it all makes sense now…"

"Is this the time one of us asks the other out?" Nagihiko wondered shyly.

"I would, but what about tomorrow? You can't exactly date a girl that's going to be… darkness tomorrow." Nagihiko's smile faded.

"They will find a cure Rima-Chan. I know them. Not one of them would give up. You know Utau. So, you won't always be clouded by darkness. After that happens, we can… be together." Rima beamed softly.

"That sounds good… if there is an after that happens…" Rima whispered the last part under her breath, inaudible to Nagihiko.

"Great." Nagihiko hugged Rima close to him. She wrapped her arms around him as well. They stayed embracing for a few minutes. Finally, they let go.

"Nagi, you should get some sleep. You're still sick and in the developing phase, or whatever you want to call it," Rima told him.

"Alright. You should sleep too; you've got a long day ahead of you."

"That's a vast understatement." They glanced at each other for a moment.

"Goodnight Rima-Chan." Nagihiko moved closer to her, removing the gap between them. Their lips met, and they shared their second kiss. It lasted for a few minutes. They separated finally. Even though they kissed, neither of them was smiling. Nagihiko gave Rima one last wave, before exiting her room. He went to the bathroom to take a pill, and then went to his room. It hurt him to know that Rima had limited time as herself. He did not know what was going to happen the next day, but there were many terrible scenarios that played through his mind. There was one thing, one variable that stayed constant throughout his mind. Rima had brought it up previously, and Nagihiko had denied it almost immediately, even though he knew it was a possibility. It was the major concern of the X-Virus initially, but slowly became less imminent. Death was a word Nagihiko did not want to associate with Rima, but each waking moment made it seem more likely.

**Basically, the majority of the next chapters are going to include action. I'm sure you guys will enjoy them! Please review/alert/favorite! That makes me more inclined to update and puts me in a more positive mood. If you're reading but not reviewing, I would really appreciate it if you left a quick review, or shot me a PM. Thanks! **


	10. X

**Hey everyone. I'm sorry it took me a while. School is very busy now. Next chapter, I am going to officially announce something in the Author's Note. I'm sure all of you will appreciate it. If you can guess what my announcement will be, you will get a brownie. Okay, not really. However, I promise, I'll tell you next chapter. Anyhow, onwards to the disclaimer. I own nothing in the Shugo Chara-verse, and enjoy! Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate!**

The sun began to ascend, its light transmitting through the window. Nagihiko, who had barely been asleep previously, opened his eyes. He rubbed his eyes, and sat up. It was still early in the morning, being just past six thirty. Nagihiko looked around the room, only to notice that Tadase and Kukai were still sleeping. Nagihiko tiptoed out of the room, and headed to the bathroom. He felt awful. Glancing in a mirror, he noticed how pale his face was and the redness of his eyes. The mirror did not show, however, the immense pain in his head. It was aggravating. Nagihiko seldom received migraines, but the one he had was intolerable. He remembered his mother telling him that his father used to receive migraines frequently before his father left his mother. Sighing in remorse, he left the bathroom, and decided to make one more pit stop before returning to his room.

Nagihiko gingerly turned the knob of the room adjacent to his. Careful not to wake anyone up, he peered into the room. To his dismay, Rima was already awake. Her long blonde hair faced Nagihiko's direction. She was standing in front of the window staring out of it.

"Hey Rima-Chan," Nagihiko greeted quietly. She did not respond or make any sort of reaction to his greeting. He moved closer to her, and gave her a warm smile she did not notice. "How are you feeling today?" Again, there was no response. "Rima-Chan?" Gradually, she turned her head. When her eyes met Nagihiko, his face contorted to an expression of pure shock. The eyes that Nagihiko was peering into were the darkest black he has ever seen, with the exception of Ikuto's eyes from the previous day. Rima was almost unrecognizable with the darkness surrounding her. Nagihiko clenched his fists. Rima turned back around, and without hesitating, jumped out of the window. Nagihiko gasped, watching as Rima landed directly on her feet.

"What the hell was that?!" Nagihiko slowly turned, facing everyone else. Tadase and Kukai looked as sick as ever. Behind them stood Yukari, Nikaidou, Kairi, and Utau all with inquisitive expressions.

"It seems Ikuto's speculations from yesterday were correct," Nagihiko murmured. He explained what happened previously.

"She lunged herself out of the window?" Utau wondered, surprised. Nagihiko nodded.

"Maybe one of us should find her before she harms innocent people," Yukari suggested. Everyone faced Kairi and Utau.

"I still have to find Ikuto," Utau muttered.

"It is still early, but it would be wise to call Yaya-Chan and Hinamori-San," Kairi offered.

"Good luck with Yaya…" Kukai muttered, a sly smirk forming across his face. "Maybe she'll respond to _Kairi's _voice over everyone else." Kairi's face grew a tint of red.

"Regardless, we have to commence." Kairi started to walk away. "Tsukiyomi-San, call up Amu. I will worry about Yaya. We need to find Mashiro-San and Tsukiyomi-Kun." Utau nodded.

"What about us?" Tadase asked. "Is there any way we can help?"

"Just rest; there's no point in going-" Utau froze. Her eyes widened. "Kukai…"

"Hm, what's up?" Kukai wondered. Everyone else glanced at Kukai, and they gave him melancholic smiles. "Guys?"

"Your eyes…" Nagihiko whispered.

"Oh…" They were black, as Rima's were the previous day.

"Hotori-San has a tint of darkness in his eyes as well. It was like Mashiro-San two days ago." Tadase looked at the ground.

"Kukai, Tadase, you both should get some rest," Utau murmured. Both of them nodded reluctantly, and headed to their room.

"I will dial Yaya's number," Kairi announced.

"As I will Amu," Utau agreed.

An hour later, Kairi and Utau made their way to the park. Utau wore a large hat and glasses to conceal her true identity to others.

"Sorry I'm late!" Amu jogged over, panting slightly. She wore two small braids and the rest of her hair was down.

"You're right on time, Hinamori-San," Kairi told her. Amu smiled.

"YAYA HATES YOU." An angry Yaya stomped over to them. She, very evidently, had been awoken by Kairi.

"Sorry to hear that," Utau muttered. "So, Rima and my brother are somewhere out there, causing havoc, and we have to find them."

"Don't get hasty Tsukiyomi-San. We discussed the plan, remember?" Utau sighed. "Alright, so Hinamori-San, when we discover the whereabouts of either one of them, you will place this on them." Kairi handed Amu two small camera-like devices.

"Eh? What does this do?" Amu asked.

"It's a camera. It will trace their movement. Nagihiko will supervise that."

"Is Nagi-Tan feeling okay to do that?" Yaya wondered.

"He mentioned that he had a migraine, but he is feeling significantly better than Souma-Kun and Hotori-San. Their eyes are darkening, Souma-Kun's almost completely darkened."

"Oh no…" Amu whimpered.

"We knew it was coming," Utau muttered.

"So, let's do it! Yaya will save the day!" Yaya put her thumbs up.

"I thought you were grumpy?" Utau wondered.

"Yaya's awake now! Besides, the coffee needed to kick in."

"The coffee?!" All three of them exclaimed.

"Yeah! Kukai always gets coffee, so why can't Yaya?" All three of them face-palmed.

"Yaya-Chan… For someone as exuberant as you, coffee is probably not the wisest-" Kairi's speech was interrupted by the abrupt uplifting of X-Eggs. The X-Eggs all floated to a central location which was located surrounding a familiar blonde who emitted darkness.

"Rima…" Amu murmured.

"Amu, place the camera on her! That's our biggest concern!" Utau yelled.

"But the X-Eggs…"

"I'll purify them!" Utau instructed, turning to face the X-Eggs. Amu nodded slowly, and faced Rima.

"What do we do?" Yaya asked, turning to Kairi.

"I suppose it is wise for us to distract Mashiro-San. Transform," Kairi instructed. Yaya nodded, and everyone transformed.

"Go! Go! Little Duckies go!" Yaya twirled around, and shot duckies at Rima. Rima shot darkness at them, making them turn dark. "Not again!" Yaya moaned.

"Mashiro-San! Look this way!" Rima paid no attention to Kairi. Her attention was fixated on Yaya. She shot darkness at her. Yaya dodged it, and started running around in a circle. Rima followed her with her eyes. When Rima was facing the opposite way from Amu, a sly smirk formed on her face. Amu crept closer to Rima, and lunged towards her. Rima rapidly turned, and suddenly vanished into thin air.

"Ah!" Amu cried out loud, falling to the ground.

"Amu!" Utau cried. Kairi gave Amu a worried glance.

"Kairi-Kun behind you!" Yaya shouted. Kairi swiftly turned, facing Rima. Rima shot a dark ducky at Kairi. He deflected it with his sword. It ricocheted and crashed into one of the X-Eggs.

"Utau, purify the X-Eggs," Kairi advised. Utau complied, and began to purify the X-Eggs. Rima shot darkness at her.

"No Utau!" Amu screamed, sitting up. Utau twirled elegantly out of the way. Everyone shared a sigh of relief.

"Let's worry about Rima before we get to the X-Eggs…" Utau grumbled.

"I apologize for that," Kairi muttered.

"It's fine."

They all faced the girl who was significantly shorter. Even being surrounded by darkness, she still looked strangely adorable. Suddenly, Rima started shooting dark beams everywhere. Everyone started dodging them.

"Our biggest priority is the camera!" Kairi yelled. "Hinamori-San?"

"I'm on it!" Amu cart-wheeled, dodging a dark beam.

"Yaya's tired…" Yaya moaned.

"Yaya, shut the hell up!" Utau screamed at her. Yaya pouted.

"Yaya has a brilliant idea!" Yaya landed on her feet, two beams sliding right past her. "Merry Merry!" Yaya threw out a rattle. Yaya started twirling, before collapsing on the ground and falling asleep. Fortunately, the same occurred to Rima.

"That actually worked?!" Amu exclaimed, amazed.

"Amu, just put the camera on!" Amu nodded, and placed the camera on Rima's neck.

"So, Nagi is just going to see her general location?" Amu asked. Kairi nodded.

"Mashiro-San will appear as a point on a map. Nagihiko-San will be able to track her movements," Kairi explained. Amu nodded. Kairi took out his cell phone, and started calling Nagihiko.

"Hello?" Nagihiko's croak voice wondered.

"Nagihiko-San, it is Kairi. We put the camera on Mashiro-San."

"Really? Great! How did you do it?" Kairi explained. "Oh wow… Alright, well, good luck helping her. I have to go, but I'll keep a watch on her."

"Talk to you later." Nagihiko hung up the phone. Kairi put his phone away. Rima stirred, and stood up suddenly. Kairi walked towards Yaya, and picked her up, just in case they would have to keep dodging. However, Rima started vanishing.

"Rima!" Amu cried. Rima did not say anything, as she completely vanished.

"Call Nagihiko!" Utau instructed. "We can still find her. Amu nodded, and decided to call him again.

"Yo it's Kukai," Kukai answered into the phone. Amu sighed.

"Where's Nagi?" Amu asked.

"He is, well, puking…"

"Poor thing… Anyway, can you tell us where Rima is on the map thing?"

"Alright!" Amu waited for Kukai to load the map on the computer. "She's in the Easter Building…"

"Easter?! I guess that's where we're headed. Thanks Kukai!"

"Any time! I'll stay on the phone, just in case anything changes."

"Alright!"

"What's up?" Kairi asked.

"Rima is in the Easter Building apparently. We should go there." Amu persisted.

"What about the X-Eggs?" Utau wondered.

"Oh yeah… I'll purify them." Amu walked forward, and purified the X-Eggs. "Okay, let's go!"

"Is Kukai still on the phone?" Utau asked.

"Yeah… Do you want to talk?" Utau nodded. Amu tossed Utau her cell phone. Utau spoke quietly, so Amu and Kairi decided to give her privacy.

"We should go to the Easter Headquarters now. It is likely that Ikuto is there as well." Kairi stated.

"Yeah, you're probably right…" Amu looked at the ground. "I'm worried about him. He's been sick for so long. I just don't want anything to happen to him, or Rima. I'm worried about the other three too. I'm scared…"

"Me too…" Kairi admitted. "I would appreciate it if we had more of a definite plan to cure this virus, but it just seems too difficult. I have no clue about how we will do it."

"With hope!" Kairi glanced down at the apparently awake girl in his arms. Yaya jumped down, and grinned. "We just need to believe, right? Come on Kairi-Kun we're awesome; we can do it!" Kairi gave Yaya a small smile.

"The catalyst has descended, but will ascend swiftly. She can alleviate the pain, save the world from the incoming darkness. Her power lies with eternal love. However, there is one obstacle that will complicate the matters. That one obstacle can cease her, and bring chaos and destruction upon the Earth." Kairi and Yaya looked at Amu.

"Was that the prophecy that Dia spoke of?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah, before she disappeared. I never heard it, but Rhythm told me. I don't know why, but I can easily remember it. I just don't know what it means…"

"Ikuto." All three of them looked at Utau. She handed Amu her cell phone. "The catalyst that descended and ascended, it's Ikuto."

"How do you know?" Kairi asked.

"Because, he jumped off a building, and then survived a few hours later," Utau pointed out.

"Oh yeah, I think Kukai and Rima mentioned that…" Amu remembered. Kairi and Yaya nodded.

"But it also says she after referring to the catalyst." Kairi remembered.

"I'm pretty sure whoever she is and the catalyst is unrelated." Amu muttered.

"I think she is Amu-Chan. When Rhythm was explaining this to us, he mentioned that Dia was previously talking about Amu," Miki remembered.

"Whatever. Let's just go to the Easter Headquarters." Utau muttered. Utau flew up with her transformation. Amu did as well. Yaya created a giant ducky, and climbed up on it. Kairi followed her lead, and sat behind her. They all flew to the Easter Headquarters.

"Eternal love?" Utau inquired, as they continued flying. "Her power, Amu's power, lies with eternal love?"

"What was Dia referring to?" Amu wondered. Darkness formed over Utau's eyes.

"Probably my brother and you," Utau spat. "Tadase seems awfully pointless now."

"Is the eternal love necessarily regarding Hinamori-San? It seems like it means Hinamori-San is using the power of eternal love, but it could mean two other people." Kairi suggested.

"That makes sense. I doubt it is Rima and Nagihiko since they're both sick. Kukai's also sick, so he wouldn't help. Unless you still have a crush on Amu, it seems there is only one more option," Utau muttered. Kairi's face turned bright red.

"I don't anymore…"

"Ooh Kairi-Kun! It looks like Amu's power lies with us!" Yaya hi-fived Kairi, even though his hand was not up for her.

"We don't know for sure. We don't, frankly, know what any of this means," Kairi admitted. "Although the obstacle seems pretty likely that it is either this whole entire virus or Easter."

"Yeah, that's a safe assumption," Utau concurred.

"Anyway, let's keep moving. Rima probably won't be there much longer," Amu persisted. The others nodded.

* * *

"The guardians, along with Hoshina Utau, are making their way towards us." A man announced. Gravatus frowned, leaning back in his reclining chair.

"Send Ikuto to dispose of them," Gravatus ordered.

"We are still working on Ikuto, providing him with more power and X-Energy. Same with the short one." Gravatus pondered for a moment.

"Is Utau's boyfriend prepared to begin his Berserk Phase?" Gravatus asked. Gravatus placed his hand on his head.

"It will be early, but I suppose we could use him to take on the guardians," The employee told him.

"Perfect."

"Sir, are you feeling alright? Yesterday you collapsed on the ground."

"It seems I have received the X-Virus I distributed. Ironic. I am feeling content, but it seems I am receiving a migraine. I used to get them frequently, but it has been years." Gravatus sighed. "I will be alright. Prepare Utau's boyfriend." The employee nodded, and hurried off. Gravatus gritted his teeth. The migraine was quite painful.

* * *

"Any changes?" Kukai asked.

"Nope. She's remaining stagnant. I hope the guardians fix her soon. I'm worried about her. I don't want her to get hurt." Nagihiko had been staring at the screen that showed Rima's position for a while now. Kukai put a hand on Nagihiko's shoulder

"Dude, don't worry. All four of them won't give up!"

"I know, I'm just worried." Nagihiko sighed. "It's strange. I've had a huge a crush on her for a while, but I've been acting so close to her even though we aren't really dating yet…"

"Nagihiko, I know for sure that you know she'll be okay." Tadase smiled.

"Why do you think that?" Nagihiko wondered.

"Well, you said you weren't dating _yet_. It means that you think you still have a future with her, which you do." Nagihiko smiled at Tadase.

"Yeah, I guess you're-"

"ARGH!" Kukai's screams interrupted Nagihiko's speech. Nagihiko and Tadase swiftly turned, facing Kukai.

"Kukai!" Nagihiko cried.

"What just happened?!" Tadase wondered.

"I'm not sure." Gradually, Kukai stirred, and peered up at them. His eyes were dark black.

"Oh no…" Tadase whispered. Kukai sat up, and shot a dark beam at the two of them. They both moved quickly despite being sick, and dodged. Kukai suddenly vanished.

"Kukai!" Tadase cried.

"I'm going to call Kairi-San!" Nagihiko whipped out his cell phone, and started dialing Kairi's number.

* * *

"Alright, are you guys ready? Easter is a confusing building, and infiltrating it will be difficult," Utau murmured.

"Yeah… I-I'm ready." Amu clenched her fists.

"Yaya can do it!" Yaya grinned.

"I suppose it's now or never. Everyone, be careful," Kairi advised. Yaya grinned at him, and held his hand.

"Yaya will! Kairi-Kun, do you promise not to leave Yaya's side?" Kairi looked at her, and smiled, squeezing her hand lightly.

"I promise," He agreed. Suddenly, darkness was shot at them. Yaya screamed in surprise. Kairi felt his phone begin to ring, but he was too busy, so he ignored it. They all dodged, and turned to face the source of the attacks. The auburn-colored hair boy looked extremely different with darkness surrounding him.

"Oh shit, Kukai…"

**I will update soon! Anyway, if you can figure out the announcement, I will be happy. Also, feel free to review/PM your speculations for this story. I won't tell you if you're right. I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Please review/favorite/alert! **


	11. XI

**I've been looking forward to writing this! Well, here comes the long-awaited announcement. I do not know the exact number of chapters this story has left. No need to worry though, because there **_**will**_** be a sequel! I am not going to say too much about the sequel, since it would give you spoilers. I don't even have a title in mind yet. I'll keep you posted, especially as this first story draws** **to an end (not yet). I own nothing, and please enjoy!**

Unlike Rima, darkness did not make Kukai look any more attractive than usual. He looked menacing, with the darkness within his eyes. The perpetual peppiness of his was replaced with his shadowed aura. He was almost unrecognizable.

"I thought he had an extra day?!" Amu cried. "That's what it was for Rima!"

"Apparently it's not as predictable as we thought." Utau gritted her teeth. "Whatever, we don't have much of a choice; we have to fight him."

"Something does not quite add up. It seems too coincidental that Souma-San attacks us directly before we infiltrate Easter. It is as if he is acting as a distraction, blockading us from entering the headquarters. A likely hypothesis would be…" Kairi's analysis was interrupted by a dark beam shot by Kukai. He jumped up, and dodged it swiftly.

"Kukai-Tan! Wake up! It's Yaya!" Yaya landed in front of him. "Come on, Kukai!" Kukai glanced at her for a minute.

"Yaya, move!" Kairi demanded.

"No, Kukai wouldn't hurt Yaya; we're siblings!" Yaya insisted.

"He's not himself," Utau informed Yaya. "He attacked me, and I'm his _girlfriend_. Be smart Yaya, and move the hell out of the way." Yaya hesitated.

"Kukai…" Yaya gave him a morose expression. Kukai extended his hand, and prepared to shoot a dark beam.

"Yaya, now!" Amu practically screamed. Yaya complied, bouncing out of the way. She looked up at Kukai, an evident pained expression on her face. Tears were building up in her eyes.

"Why does this happen to all of the people I care about?" Yaya wondered solemnly, speaking in the first-person. "Why are all of my friends sick? I don't want Kukai to get hurt… Or Rima-Tan, or Ikuto-Tan, or Nagi-Tan, or Tada-Tan… Why can't it go back to how it was before?!" Yaya started crying more now. "How could someone this cruel do this?!"

"Easter is contained with bastards," Utau muttered.

"Yaya-Chan, I concur, but now is not the moment to dwell on the infected. Souma-San is currently attacking us, and frankly, we need to be one hundred percent focused." Yaya nodded, and smiled sweetly at Kairi.

"Thanks Kairi-Kun; you're right! We have to stay focused… Yaya can do it!" Yaya grinned, oblivious to Kukai's sudden attack.

"Yaya!" Kairi cried. Yaya turned, but it was too late to dodge. However, before the attack hit her, Yaya suddenly found someone directly in front of her, deflecting the attack. From behind Kukai, someone suddenly placed a camera on him, and held his arms tightly.

"Tadase-Kun, Nagi!" Amu sighed, relieved.

"What are you guys doing here?!" Utau wondered, her eyes widening.

"Isn't it obvious? We came to help. It's the least we could do." Nagihiko's voice sounded extremely hoarse. He held Kukai's arms steadily, struggling to keep him captive.

"Tadase-Kun, are you alright? That dark beam looks like it must have hurt!" Amu knelt beside him. Utau rolled her eyes.

"It…isn't exactly pleasant, but compared to everything else I've witnessed, it's not awful." Tadase gave Amu an optimistic smile.

"Yaya-Chan, are you content?" Kairi asked. Yaya put her thumbs up.

"Look, I'm glad you guys saved Yaya, but shouldn't you be resting? You both are pretty sick."

"It's alright; we were worried about you guys. There's no more harm that we can really face that we haven't," Tadase reassured.

"Amu-Chan, if you're going to try purifying or something, now's the time," Nagihiko pointed out.

"Yeah, you're right…" Amu stood up, and faced Kukai. "Negative heart, lock on!" Amu's hands formed a heart. "Open…"

"Amu-Chan, behind you!" Tadase cried. Amu turned, and dodged a dark beam. The dark doll-like appearance was enough to give away the identity. Nagihiko froze, and in doing so, Kukai escaped.

"Damn it!" Nagihiko grunted, gritting his teeth.

"Guys, we can do it! We're six against two!" Yaya grinned.

"You're forgetting the fact that two of the six are sick and are utterly worthless in fighting," Utau pointed out. Nagihiko and Tadase sweat dropped.

"Well, four against two! And we've got the best weapon of all; eternal love!" Yaya grinned at Kairi, who suppressed blushing madly.

"Well, whatever the hell that prophecy means, it's irrelevant now!" Utau faced Kukai and Rima. "We have to fight these two, and hopefully purify them… Tadase, Nagi, do you think you guys can hold them back?"

"On it!" Nagihiko and Tadase walked behind Kukai and Rima. They seemed unaware of the presences of Tadase and Nagihiko. Yaya stepped forward.

"Yaya will attempt making them sleep again! Merry, Merry!" Yaya twirled around, and threw the rattle at them. She jumped backward, dodging sleep. Rima caught the rattle in her hand, and turned it black. Yaya pouted. Rima tossed it back at Yaya, throwing it similarly to a Frisbee. Yaya's ducks blocked it.

Kukai formed darkness in the shape of a ball, and kicked it in the direction of Kairi. Kairi took out his sword within the transformation, and hit it back at him. Kukai kicked it again, this time with more force and precision. Kairi prepared to deflect the dark ball, but it bounced towards the direction of Utau.

"Utau, behind you!" Amu called. Utau turned rapidly, and sidestepped. The ball ricocheted off the ground, and stalked Utau again. Utau lifted her devil's trident, and hit it in the manner of a baseball. The force of the ball hitting her trident knocked her backward slightly. Going at a rapid speed, it aimed straight for Rima. Rima lifted her hand, and shot darkness at the ball. It expanded, and descended rapidly. When it made contact with the ground, it sent dark waves all around. They dodged it. Rima began making another dark beam. Suddenly, extremely pale arms compared to the darkness emitting from Rima, wrapped around her waist tightly. Much of Nagihiko was seen over Rima's short figure.

"Now's your chance," He instructed. His pale face was tinted with red.

"I-I can try…" Amu stepped forward. "Rima, I don't know what happened to you. I am truly sorry you have been infected with the X-Virus. I really hope this works. I don't want you to suffer anymore and…"

"Amu shut the hell up with your monologue and just freaking purify her!" Utau practically screamed. Amu nodded.

"Negative heart, lock on!" Amu's hands formed a heart shape. Kukai stepped forward, attempting to attack her. Tadase held him back. "Open heart!" A light pink color emitted from her hands. They touched Rima, making her begin to glow pink. Nagihiko was knocked backward, falling on his back.

"What's going on?!" Yaya cried.

"Just wait…" Kairi instructing, placing his hand over Yaya's mouth. Rima began to start screaming.

"Rima!" Nagihiko cried, sitting up. He cringed in pain, and fell backward again, which no one seemed to pay any attention to. Suddenly, Rima stopped glowing. She was normal, with no darkness on her. Even her eyes were her normal hazel color. With shaky eyes, Rima looked around, and her eyes met Amu's.

"You really did it…" A smile crossed her face, before she fell forward, unconscious.

"Rima-Tan!" Yaya cried, beginning to run forward. Kairi grabbed her arm. "What are you doing Kairi-Kun?!"

"We don't know for sure if she's entirely cured. We cannot risk you becoming infected," Kairi explained. Yaya nodded in understanding. Amu sank to her knees.

"Geez, that was tiring…" Amu panted.

"Okay, now's not the time to celebrate. We need to worry about…" Kukai's color seemed to be darker, compared to Rima's normal color. He suddenly vanished. Tadase gasped, unable to grab thin air. He caught himself before falling over.

"Kukai-Tan!" Yaya ran forward, to the spot where he previously stood. "He's gone!"

"The camera has been adhered onto him. We are still able to track him," Kairi reassured. "I presume my sister is keeping track of everyone… Nagihiko-San!"

"Nagi-Tan, are you okay?" Yaya wondered.

"I've been better, but I'm alright, thanks." He attempted to sit up, this time with success. He glanced over at Rima. "I really hope it worked…"

"I'm sure that thought is shared among all of us…" Amu stood up.

"Look, we don't have a moment to lose. We have to keep going, to find my brother and Kukai…" Utau crossed her arms. Everyone looked at Utau, giving her glances of pity. "What?"

"Utau, we know it's hard for you, since Ikuto is your brother and Kukai is your boyfriend. We'll save them though, no need to worry! I promise you that Utau," Amu reassured.

"I'm fine," Utau grunted. "Let's just move." Everyone nodded.

"Tadase-Kun, Nagi, are you guys staying?" Amu asked, facing them.

"I suppose we have nothing to lose by staying here. We can help you guys, and them," Nagihiko stated.

"What about Mashiro-San? She's unconscious; she should rest," Tadase wondered. Everyone turned to the motionless girl on the ground.

"Amu-Chan is the only one we know for sure can touch her," Nagihiko pointed out. "We don't know if she's cured or not. We don't want to risk Kairi-San or Yaya-Chan becoming infected, but Hotori-San or I don't want to accidentally get her sick again."

"Well, we need Amu, so she can't take her back," Utau grumbled. "How about we just leave her there for now?" Nagihiko gave Utau an appalled expression, making her laugh darkly. "What? Is there a better option? Either way, we should just decide now. We need to leave."

It was decided that they take Rima with them. Amu picked her up, and they walked to the door.

"Yaya, distract the guards." Utau ordered. Yaya nodded, knocking on the door. Everyone hid behind the building. A guard opened the door.

"What is it?" He wondered.

"Yaya likes your shoes, where did you get them from?" Yaya asked, bouncing up and down. He stared at her blankly.

"Um… I think you should leave."

"Yaya likes it here!" Yaya giggled, as a bib suddenly appeared around her neck. She held a giant rattle, and slammed on the guard. He immediately passed out. Yaya giggled. The others walked over to her, sweat dropping.

"Well that worked…" Everyone sweat dropped.

"We don't have time to lose. Let's go." Everyone nodded, following Utau inside. "Guys, just stay close behind me. I know this place way too well…"

* * *

"Sir, we have a major problem!" Gravatus peered up, glancing at his employees. "They got in! Hinamori-San also performed one of her purification techniques, and it appears to have worked on the short blonde." Gravatus slammed his fist down on his desk in aggravation.

"Damn it!" Gravatus muttered. "The guards were supposed to be making sure they didn't get in! The X-Virus should have been impossible to cure! Send Utau's boyfriend out again. I want to see if Amu is actually able to purify him. Also, prepare the other blonde."

"Sir, are you certain about this? They would have two cured, and they would be immune. This would be a disadvantage for us." Gravatus merely laughed.

"We have something they don't." Gravatus peered up. "Ikuto, may I have my Advil?" Ikuto complied, receiving the Advil. He swallowed the pill, drinking water with it. "Tsukiyomi-San, my nephew, will prove useful."

"Do you want us to prepare the purple-haired one?" Gravatus shook his head rapidly.

"He is going to be saved for a special occasion. Nagihiko is special… Trust me on that." The employees nodded.

* * *

"Ah!" Tadase fell to his knees, cringing in pain.

"Tadase-Kun!" Amu cried, kneeling beside him. She still held Rima gingerly. "Are you okay?! What's going on?!" Amu placed her hand on his forehead. "It's warm…"

"Amu-Chan, he's had a fever this entire time; that's not any indication," Nagihiko observed. Utau placed her hands on her hips.

"I'm alright… It just hurts a lot, more than I can bear…" Tadase admitted.

"You shouldn't have come…" Kairi hissed. "We need to keep moving though. Hotori-San, are you feeling content enough to-"

"Kairi-Kun, look out!" Yaya shrieked, shoving him to the ground with her on top. Both of them blushed.

"Kukai again…" Amu stood up. "Maybe we can purify him now!" Benignly, Amu placed Rima on the ground.

"Transform!" Utau instructed. Yaya got off of Kairi, and obeyed. Tadase and Nagihiko exchanged melancholic smiles.

Kukai was not attacking them as much this time. He shot some dark beams, but didn't move around too much. This made it simple for Nagihiko to grab him.

"I'll do it this time," Utau announced, stepping forward. "Well, well, Souma. I am _so_ sorry you are experiencing this. I don't want you to _ever_ suffer again. Blah, blah, blah, long monologue." Amu frowned at Utau. "Angel Cradle!" She sang a gentle melody that never ceased to attract Kukai. However, Kukai was not becoming purified. When Utau finished, she stared at him, stunned. "It didn't work?!"

"I'll try again! Negative Heart, lock on! Open Heart!" This time, Amu was transformed with Miki, so Kukai was glowing blue.

"Why does Amu's work and not mine?" Utau grumbled. Again, Nagihiko fell backward, but Tadase caught him. Nagihiko smiled at his friend. After the purification, Kukai looked around blankly.

"Am I fixed?" Kukai asked. His voice sounded normal and not sickened.

"We hope so…" Utau smiled at him. Kukai looked at her, and smiled back, before collapsing to the ground beside Rima. Utau quickly frowned.

"I don't think I'll be able to lift both of them…" Amu muttered, turning to them.

"So, Hoshina Utau, we finally meet again," Utau turned to face the source of the voice angrily. A familiar muscular man faced them, a side smirk apparent on his face.

"It's Tsukiyomi, you filthy bastard!" Utau spat angrily. She clenched her fists. Gravatus crossed his arms.

"Miss Hinamori, congratulations to you. You found the loophole in my X-Virus, one that even I was unaware of. You have fully cured the two of them." The smile was extremely hard to wipe away off of Amu, upon learning about Rima and Kukai being healthy. "Allow me to introduce myself. Although I can tell Utau has spoken quite highly of me, I would like you introduce myself to you. My name is Kai Gravatus, and I am the boss of Easter. The distribution and administration of the X-Virus was all caused by none other than me."

"Why does he look extremely familiar?" Nagihiko whispered quietly to Tadase. "I know I've seen him before…" Tadase shrugged, grunting in pain.

"Why do you even want to spread the X-Virus? Why would you try to _kill_ people with it?!" Amu wondered, briskly.

"I am happy you brought that up Miss Hinamori. There is something I would love to tell you Utau. Something I was suppressed from you. I believe you would be intrigued." Utau tensed. "In fact, I believe someone else would enjoy hearing this. Come out." Utau's brother was revealed, looking completely darkened. Amu's eyes widened.

"Ikuto!" Utau cried, running over to him. Someone grabbed her from behind. Utau froze, taken aback.

"Don't be rash because of your brother; be rash because of me." The voice Utau heard in her ears soothed her, and made her smile despite her sickened brother being in front of you.

"Kukai, you're awake," Utau realized.

"You bet I am! I've never felt better! I feel healthy! That's why I know I can touch you; because I'm healthy."

"But do you know for sure?"

"He's healthy…" Gravatus grumbled. Kukai smiled at Utau. She turned around, and wrapped her arms around him. Kukai patted her head.

"Boo." Amu shrieked loudly, falling forward. Yaya laughed, forgetting Gravatus's presence.

"Rima-Tan, Yaya missed you so much! You too Kukai!" Kukai grinned at Yaya. Rima gave Yaya a smile. Yaya glomped Rima tightly. Even in his sickened state, Nagihiko smiled.

"It really does work…" Tadase smiled at Nagihiko. "We'll be okay Fujisaki-Kun!" They high-fived.

"It seems more people are awake. The more the merrier I suppose." Utau frowned, letting go of Kukai.

"Fuck you Gravatus. Let my brother go, and there are a lot of people staring you down to hurt you," Utau muttered.

"Wait, I infected Gravatus, didn't I?" Kukai remembered. "He has the X-Virus!"

"Very good, Utau's boyfriend. Yes, I am infected, but as you guys well know, I can be cured with Miss Hinamori. Oh, and she _will_ purify me, if I threaten the life of Ikuto." Amu gritted her teeth. "Not now, Hinamori. It only works in the Berserk Phase."

"The Berserk Phase?" Kairi inquired.

"When they were attacking you," Gravatus explained. "Anyway, I was just about to tell you something you may be intrigued to know."

"I don't want to hear anything about you Gravatus. Let my brother go _now_," Utau demanded.

"What if I tell you it relates to your father?" Utau froze. "Or rather, my brother." Utau's face paled.

"Oh my god, you're saying…"

"Yes Utau, I am your uncle." Utau could have passed out at that point.

"M-My father, he always said he was an only child…"

"I suppose he was not truthful. He was always ashamed of me. We did have quite a lot in common, my big brother and I. Especially in the ways we acted as fathers."

"You are not similar to my father in parenting at all!" Utau practically screamed. "My father had to leave. I bet your children hated you! I bet that you were a terrible father!"

"Do you even know why your father left?" Utau didn't answer, but she shook angrily. "Well, that's what we had in common. I left my family as well. I barely knew my son. However, I can know now, and it's quite enjoyable, knowing what my son is going to do for me. He is going to be essential to my overall plan."

"Ikuto _is_ my brother; we are not half-siblings, so don't even suggest that!" Utau screamed.

"I wasn't referring to Ikuto. He is the obstacle that will stop you, Miss Hinamori." Amu's eyes widened.

"The prophecy…" Amu whispered, her voice wavering.

"It's already beginning. The X-Virus has evolved within him. He will stop you Hinamori, cease your actions. My son, he…"

"Who the hell _is_ your son?!" Utau wondered.

"I-It's me…" Silence arose in the room, and all heads turned to face the source of the hoarse voice. Darkness covered his eyes, but that didn't even stop the tears. "Kai Gravatus is my father, the man who left me when I was young. The reason that my mother went insane and hated men. The reason I was left to be raised as a woman."

**Please review/alert/favorite! I would like to call out on Nightshadowmidnight** **for noticing my hint at this twist the previous chapter. **


	12. XII

**I apologize immensely for the late update. This should have been up a week or two ago. However, I got extremely busy, and my time to working on this was extremely limited. It doesn't help that my Microsoft Word stopped working, so I downloaded Open Office, but it didn't let me copy and paste the bit I worked on, so I had to rewrite everything. Anyway, I own nothing, and enjoy!**

"_The traditions of my family are stupid. A person should not feed into a specific societal norm. They should act as they desire." Nagihiko's mother constantly vented to him all of her opinions of the Fujisaki traditions. She found it appalling that they would force boys to dress as women. She always promised to Nagihiko that she would never force him to dress up as a woman when he was four-years-old. It was one night, however, that would change everything._

_That night was one of the few things Nagihiko vividly remembered from his childhood. He had been sitting down, reading a book that was advanced for his age. He was mesmerized by the book, that he barely realized the fact that his front door swung open. What did make him glance up, was the shattering of glass. He noticed that his father was home. There was a bottle of something on the floor. Nagihiko heard his parents often speak about alcohol, so this was probably that._

"_Kai, you're home late." Nagihiko's mother lowered her eyes. "I wonder where you've been." The tone of sarcasm was so apparent, even young Nagihiko could comprehend it. _

"_Don't have that attitude." His voice was completely slurred. He touched his wife's shoulder, and towards her, kissing her. Nagihiko raised an eyebrow. She immediately shoved him off of her._

"_Kai! Our son is in the room!" She hissed angrily._

"_Who cares? He's a child."_

"_Nagihiko is brilliant for his age. Did you know that today during class, he corrected his teacher's grammar? Oh wait, you weren't home; you wouldn't know."_

"_Who the fuck cares?"_

"_Kai, language!" Nagihiko's father rolled his eyes._

"_Did you buy me the meat I wanted?" His father asked. Nagihiko's mother lowered her eyes._

"_N-No..." She whispered._

"_What did you say?"_

"_I-I forgot..." Nagihiko's mother admitted dryly. Sighing in exasperation, he raised his fist and slammed her cheek aggressively. She cried out loud, falling to the ground._

"_Mother!" Nagihiko cried, instinctively standing up. He looked at his father, puzzled. "What did you do, father?"_

"_Nagihiko, son, please, don't..." His father faced Nagihiko. "Don't hurt my son!" He ignored the callings of his wife._

"_Come here son. Come to your daddy." Nagihiko hesitated. He shivered, unsure of what to do._

"_Nagihiko, don't! He's going to hurt you!"_

"_I'm your father; you can trust me." Nagihiko gradually walked over to his father. He gulped, and made his way even closer. His mother's eyes darkened. In the same manner as his mother, his __father hit him hard on the face. Nagihiko cried, falling to the ground. "You are a waste of a son! Your hair is too long! You're unmanly. Go to fucking hell!" Nagihiko began to cry. "Boys don't cry."_

"_Kai, lay off of him!" Nagihiko's mother attempted to pry him off of her son. With much effort, she was successful. He hit her again. Nagihiko continued to sob._

"_Ugh!" His voice was inaudible, slurred from the alcohol._

"_Get out of here," Nagihiko's mother ordered. Even in his drunken state, he complied, and made his way to the door._

"_You know, I slept with another woman I met at the bar. It was so much fun. She's better _

_in bed then you are. I was sure hoping you'd kick me out." Just like that, he exited the house. Silence filled the large house briefly. Nagihiko's mother suddenly turned to face Nagihiko angrily._

"_Why did you obey him?! I'm always home for you, and he's never there." Nagihiko did not reply. "You barely knew your father... I hate men." Nagihiko's mother paced back and forth, in frustration. "I wish I had a daughter She would have stayed by my side. The ideal daughter I always dreamed of... Nadeshiko..." She turned to face Nagihiko suddenly. From that moment on, every idea Nagihiko's mother had about her family traditions reverted to the polar opposite. She began imposing the ideas she once hated onto Nagihiko._

* * *

Hot tears formed in Nagihiko's eyes. He cringed, attempting to restrain them from dancing down his face. The memories from that day were way too clear in his mind. He placed his hand on his cheek, tracing with the palm of his hand the area he was once punched by his father. From the moment Gravatus mentioned he had a son, Nagihiko had pieced it all together. When Nagihiko first laid eyes on Gravatus, he knew something was familiar about him. It all made sense to Nagihiko now. He always wondered what happened to his father, but now he knew, and he almost wished he didn't. His eyes were fixated on the ground, unable to meet the dismayed stares his friends sent his direction.

"Very good son; your mother always raved of your intelligence." Nagihiko clenched his fists. "Aren't you pleased to see me, your _beloved_ father?" He growled.

"Don't even think, for a second, that I loved you; you were merely a drunken bastard," Nagihiko hissed angrily.

"I believe your childhood self would beg to differ, choosing me over your mother." Nagihiko shook angrily, restraining himself from punching Gravatus in the face. Nagihiko's nonchalant composure was completely gone. There were many moments in Nagihiko's life he regretted, but none of them even came close to matching that. If he had not, everything would have been so much different. Tears ran down his cheeks involuntarily. "Aw, it seems you have not matured. You are still crying like the infant I remember." He teased. Nagihiko stepped forward, growling in annoyance. However, his head started to hurt. He winced in pain, clutching his head. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Glancing up, he found himself face to face with Rima. Despite all of his anger and pain a small smile crossed on his face.

"Rima-Chan, you are likely cured, but you might not be immune..." Rima placed one finger over her lips, shushing him. Gravatus opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of rapid footsteps distracted him. He turned on his heel, and found Amu running, grabbing Ikuto's arm.

"Guys, start running!" Amu ordered. Suddenly, Ikuto vanished. Amu cried in surprise, and began to fall to the side. She caught herself, and turned around. "Eh?! Where did he go?!"

"You should know that by now Miss Hinamori; they tend to disappear. You will not be seeing Ikuto again for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, I am not feeling 100%, so I am going to have to bid you all farewell."

"Oh yeah, I infected you!" Kukai grinned. "Score for me!"

"The irony..." Gravatus chuckled darkly. "Well, I will be seeing you. Good-bye my niece, guardians. I am inclined to believe I will be seeing you all soon. My son... you are invaluable to the progression of my virus." Gravatus smirked, and began walking away.

"What the hell makes you think we're leaving?!" Utau screamed. Gravatus didn't stop walking as he replied.

"All you desire is your brother, and I'm keeping him heavily guarded. If I were you, I'd just head back." Utau sighed in exasperation. Gravatus was finally gone. "...I suppose he's right. This place is revolting. Let's just go." Everyone nodded, and headed back to Yukari's place.

* * *

When they got back, Nagihiko leaned against the wall of the house, and panted. He was exhausted, since the walk had been strenuous on his sickened body.

"You alright Nagi?" Amu asked cheerfully. He glanced up at her and nodded, forcing a smile onto his face.

"You guys are back sooner than I anticipated. How did it go?"

"Although we failed in finding Ikuto, I'd say it went pretty well. Rima and I are cured," Kukai explained, grinning. Yukari smiled as well.

"That's great! Come on in guys; the sky doesn't look too promising. Amu, Yaya, you two can stay here for the night." The two of them nodded, and made their way inside. "Yuu! Everyone's back, and Rima and Kukai are healthy. Bake something good for everyone, like maybe one of your famous pies."

"Alright! I'm really happy you two are doing better. We'll have something special." Yaya started cheering. The thought of food sounded extremely nauseating to Nagihiko. He sat down far away from everyone, sighing. They all seemed extremely cheerful and pleased. Kukai and Rima were being showered with attention. Utau sat beside Kukai, and allowed his arms to extend around her shoulders. She had a smile on her face, and she relaxed her head on his shoulder. Kairi and Rima were talking. It was evident that Rima was extremely happy to be better. Rima seldom smiled, but at the moment, her smile was irreplaceable. Amu sat beside Tadase, and seemed to be examining him, placing her hand on his forehead. From afar, Nagihiko noticed that Tadase's eyes looked extremely dark. Soon, he would be attacking them, as Rima and Kukai did. It was similar to monkeys jumping on the bed. Nagihiko would be the last monkey to jump on the bed, with the exception of Ikuto. However, Gravatus seemed to imply that he was the obstacle, as mentioned in the prophecy. Nagihiko wondered what that meant, but he could only assume it was bad news.

"Hey Nagi-Tan!" Nagihiko turned his head, finding himself face to face with Yaya. She grinned at him.

"Yaya-Chan, you shouldn't be so close to me; I still have the X-Virus," Nagihiko warned.

"Yeah, but who cares? We can cure it now!"

"It's still not pleasant. You would be much better off not being infected. Besides, it takes about a week before you can purify it. It's like a worsened version of the flu." Yaya shuddered.

"Yaya hates the flu!" Yaya stood up. "You should join everyone! We all miss you!" A small smile formed on Nagihiko's face.

"Thanks Yaya-Chan, but I would prefer not to. I'd rather just be left alone." Yaya stuck out her lower lip, and skipped away, sitting on Kukai's lap despite Utau's presence. Utau took that as a hint to stand up, and walk away. Nagihiko knew at that moment that Utau would come over to him. His speculation was correct.

"Hey cousin." Utau sat far away from him, but in ear shot. Nagihiko just sighed, and didn't even bother to smile. Too many thoughts had been racing through his mind, that it only just occurred to him that they were cousins.

"I'm not quite sure what's worse: knowing that your father is trying to infect the world with some X-Virus, or the fact you are going to pose as some obstacle," Nagihiko muttered.

"Well, it's not too much better being his niece," Utau murmured. They went silent for a moment. The loud voices of Kukai and Yaya filled the room.

"Utau, what do you think being an obstacle means?" Nagihiko asked. "Gravatus mentioned that I am some sort of obstacle, and I can't quite understand what that means. Utau pondered for a moment.

"Well, the prophecy states something about the obstacle hindering 'her' actions. I'm pretty sure it's safe to assume that her is Amu, so, I suppose you're merely going to impact the way Amu purifies everyone."

"The prophecy also mentioned that the obstacle... me, will bring chaos and destruction upon the Earth." Nagihiko looked at the ground. "I don't know what that means, but it's clearly not beneficial towards the cure."

"We'll figure it out when the time comes," Utau reassured. "Who knew that Amu could purify them?" She motioned towards Kukai and Rima, both who appeared very happy.

"I'm different apparently..." Nagihiko's eyes darkened. "Would it just be better if...if I simply just..." He resisted the urge to cry.

"Fujisaki, what the hell are you saying?"

"I-It's nothing. Just my mind wondering... I'm going to go to my room, or whatever I should call it." Nagihiko stood up abruptly, and walked away. Utau watched him walk away, her eyes widening. She knew exactly what he was implying. Slowly, she stood up, and walked over to the others. Kukai looked up at her, cocking his head to the side.

"How is he?" Kukai asked.

"I never knew Nagihiko to be the pessimist." Utau sat down next to her boyfriend.

"I can't blame him honestly, the poor kid..." Kukai sighed. "It must be a lot to handle, being the son of some bastard. He once mentioned that his father left him when he was young..."

"Yeah, and also the obstacle thing..." Utau looked at the ground.

"You alright Utau? You look worried about something." Kukai wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Utau sighed.

"He's extremely worried about the future. The prophecy...it said something about bringing chaos and destruction. Fujisaki... he doesn't want to pose as a threat."

"What are you saying?" Kukai asked, tensing up.

"I'm pretty sure he is contemplating suicide." Silence filled the room.

"What?!" Utau didn't even realize Rima and Kairi were eaves-dropping. Utau glanced at Yaya, but she seemed to be paying no attention, bothering Amu and Tadase. They also seemed to be out of earshot.

"I could be wrong; he was just saying..." Rima stood up suddenly.

"I'm going to speak to him," Rima announced, exiting the room.

* * *

Nagihiko sat on his bed, reminiscing about everything. He had no idea what the prophecy meant. It shocked him that the fate of his life was based on a prophecy. However, it seemed that he had nothing to lose. He was unique and would probably not allow some other people to be purified by Amu. He wouldn't sacrifice others' lives just for his safety. It was a low chance he would even make it out alive anyway.

The sudden opening of the door surprised Nagihiko. He glanced up, seeing Rima walk in. She sat on his bed, adjacent to him. He looked at her.

"Why are you here?" Nagihiko wondered.

"You're not killing yourself," Rima stated. Nagihiko sighed.

"Utau told you? I didn't even realize she knew that I was contemplating it..." Rima moved closer to him.

"Why would you even consider that?!"

"I don't want to cause 'chaos and destruction.' It would just solve the problems, and make everything easier."

"Do you honestly think anyone would allow you to?!"

"I wasn't going to tell anyone..."

"You were just going to die and not say good-bye to anyone?!"

"I really didn't think about it too much; it was a recent idea..."

"It's a stupid idea."

"Look, so many other people are infected besides us...me. How could I risk the lives of anyone else, just to live and likely not make it either?"

"Because you're special," Rima replied bluntly.

"Some of those other people have people who think they are special as well. They wouldn't concur with this idea..." Nagihiko knew he wouldn't convince her.

"Well, I don't like the idea of your death."

"Rima-Chan, you're willing to spare one life over the lives of possibly hundreds?"

"We don't even know what being an obstacle entails. It could just be the same thing as Kukai and me. We don't even know if other people will get hurt. You're willing to bet your entire life on a freaking prophecy?!" Nagihiko didn't reply. "Besides, I-I love you too much to let go of you..." Nagihiko looked up at Rima, completely astonished.

"Rima... I..." A smile formed on his face. He leaned closer to her, and they found themselves kissing suddenly. His mood suddenly increased tremendously. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her even closer to him. Their kiss lasted for a while, a lot longer than Nagihiko would have ever expected. They broke apart finally, and exchanged timid smiles.

"I won't kill myself," Nagihiko conceded. Rima giggled slightly.

"I'm pleased with that." They both continued to smile at each other, until a loud bellow broke their gaze.

"Dinner's ready!" They turned back to each other.

"I'm not very hungry. I have no appetite," Nagihiko admitted.

"I'll stay with you."

"Don't worry about it Rima-Chan; you probably haven't had a full meal in days."

"I haven't felt healthy in days. I'd like to stay with you. I'm still not fully hungry either." Nagihiko smiled, placing his head on her shoulder shyly. Rima ran her fingers through his long hair, and sighed. She didn't tell him, but she felt a jabbing sensation in her stomach that was quite uncomfortable.

* * *

"Did they hear us?" Yukari wondered.

"Eh, they're probably making out. Let them be." Kukai smirked evilly. Everyone sweat dropped, and sat at the dinner table, with the exception of Tadase and Kukai.

"Aren't you going to eat Souma-Kun?" Tadase asked.

"Nah, I'm not that hungry. My stomach sort of is off..." Kukai admitted.

"Are you still sick?!" Utau exclaimed from the table.

"Nah I doubt it. I just feel...weird. It's not sick though." Utau brought her food over, and sat down beside Kukai. Amu did the same with Tadase.

"Tadase-Kun, your eyes..."

"It's alright though; you can purify me the way you did with Souma-Kun and Mashiro-San," Tadase pointed out. Amu nodded, smiling.

"Oh shit..." Kukai winced in pain.

"What's wrong?!" Utau exclaimed, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm in pain..."

"Your stomach?"

"No...everywhere..." Kukai moaned. "It's like aching..." Everyone looked at Kukai with pity. He cringed.

"Do you need Advil?" Yukari asked. Kukai nodded vigorously. She nodded towards Utau, who stood up, and made her way to get the Advil.

* * *

The pain became unbearable for Rima as well. She winced in pain, breaking her comfortable position with Nagihiko. She lifted her head, and cried out.

"Rima! What's wrong?" Nagihiko asked, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"My body hurts..." Rima whined. Nagihiko hugged her tighter, giving her a concerned expression.

"It's the same thing for Kukai." Rima and Nagihiko looked up, facing Utau. She was holding a box of Advil.

"It can't be a coincidence, the fact that Rima-Chan and Kukai were both just purified and are experiencing unexplained pain," Nagihiko thought aloud.

"Come downstairs. We can discuss this with everyone else." Nagihiko nodded, and helped Rima to her feet. Holding hands, they followed Utau down the stairs.

"Rima's having the same pain as you," Utau explained to Kukai, handing him the Advil. Nagihiko and Rima took seats on a couch right beside each other.

"Where does it hurt you?" Kukai asked Rima.

"Everywhere," Rima replied, grunting.

"Yeah, same..."

"Are either of you experiencing any nausea?" Kairi wondered. Both of them shook their heads. "Intriguing..."

"Do you have more of that Advil?" Rima muttered.

"No, this is the last pill... You can have it," Kukai offered.

"Don't worry about it; my pain is subsiding." Nagihiko raised an eyebrow, obviously not believing her. She scoffed, crossing her arms. Kukai glanced at Nagihiko, who nodded. Kukai shrugged, and swallowed the pill.

"It is likely that this arbitrary pain is correlated to the purification. Perhaps you two aren't sick, but you are just feeling aftermath or something," Nagihiko hypothesized.

"Dude, you've been spending too much time with Kairi..." Kukai grumbled. Kairi pushed up his glasses.

"I hope they're not sick. I honestly don't want to receive that X-Virus," Utau murmured.

"Gravatus did say that they were cured," Amu pointed out.

"And now we're trusting him?" Utau sighed.

"Well... he didn't seem to pleased about the fact they were cured. I doubt he would lie about that." Amu yawned. "Wow, it's tiring to purify people. I'm going to head to bed."

"It's tiring being sick as well..." Tadase agreed. Nagihiko didn't say anything, but slowly nodded. It had been a long day. He glanced at Rima for a moment. She looked back at him, and smiled.

"I'm fine," She mouthed. Nagihiko didn't entirely believe her. He intertwined his fingers with hers.

"Okay, I'm going to be the one to finally ask what everyone's thinking: are you two dating yet?" Both of them looked at Kukai.

"Hopefully," Nagihiko replied. Rima raised an eyebrow.

"Hopefully?"

"I don't know what will happen as the obstacle against Amu-Chan. I have no idea what will happen..." Rima squeezed his hand gently.

"Don't worry about it now Nagi! We'll deal when the time comes!" Kukai put his thumb up. "I'm feeling loads better- how about you Rima?"

"Yeah... The pain is still there, but it's significantly better," Rima admitted. Nagihiko yawned suddenly.

"I think I'm going to go to bed. It's a bit early, but I'm exhausted." He slid his fingers out of Rima's, and smiled at her. "Goodnight Rima-Chan."

"Night." They embraced bashfully. Kukai smirked. He let go of Rima, and made his way to his room. He changed into pajamas, and went to the bathroom to wash up. A wave of nausea passed through him. He groaned, and knelt beside the toilet, finding himself puking. He felt awful. After finishing up, he stood up, flushed the toilet, and washed his mouth. In his standing up position, he felt extremely dizzy. The world appeared to be spinning. He grabbed his head, which began to throb.

"Ugh..." He leaned against the wall, but suddenly, his balance failed him, and he fell to the ground, his consciousness disappearing.

A few minutes later, Nagihiko's eyes opened. He found himself on his bed, with two pairs of eyes looking down on him. He blinked a few times, before everything made sense. Kukai and Tadase were standing over him, giving him worried expressions.

"What happened?!" Kukai asked.

"I was in the bathroom, and then... I guess I fainted..." Kukai and Tadase exchanged glances.

"Did anything else happen?" Tadase asked. Nagihiko shook his head slowly. "Well then... how are you feeling Fujisaki-Kun?"

"I don't feel dizzy, but I feel like crap..." Nagihiko yawned, and closed his eyes. "Night guys..."

"Good-night Nagi..." Kukai muttered. It didn't take long for Nagihiko to fall asleep.

* * *

"He really doesn't remember?" Kukai wondered. Tadase glanced at Kukai.

"It doesn't appear that way..." Tadase admitted. "That was so weird though."

"Yeah seriously!" Kukai agreed. "I mean, he sent us flying backwards without even touching us! His eyes were pitch black, like yours..." Tadase nodded slowly.

"But before when he woke up the second time, his eyes were normal..." Tadase observed.

"Well, I guess we'll see tomorrow. It's probably better if we don't bring it up to anyone unless something actually happens with it." Tadase nodded.

"Well, _you'll_ see tomorrow. I'll be trying to attack you." Kukai chuckled.

"Good luck man."

"Yeah, you too, on purifying me." Both of them went to their beds, and almost immediately fell to sleep.

**I'm pretty sure this is like the first time I didn't leave it off at a cliffhanger... I know this entire chapter was a filler, and I apologize for that. It was also considerably more boring than the past few chapters. I promise though, it's setting up for future chapters, specifically in two chapters. Anyway, please review/favorite/alert! I'll try to update sooner! :D**


	13. XIII

"KAIRI!" Kairi's peaceful slumber was interrupted by the loud voice of his sister. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and blinked a couple of times. The image of his sister was very blurry, so he reached over and grabbed his glasses. He put them on, only to find they were fogged. Sighing, he pulled them off, and rubbed them on his shirt.

"Is it important? You woke me up from my sleep. It has been difficult for me to obtain much rest these past few days due to the increase in X-Eggs, and..."

"Oh shut up Kairi." Kairi blinked up at his sister. "It's good news! So, I went to the doctor this morning and she told me that..." Yukari grinned widely.

"Yukari?"

"I'm having a girl!" Kairi smiled. He placed his glasses on, and the world was clear. He could see the happy tears falling down his sister's cheeks. He stood up, and hugged his sister.

"Despite the gender, I still would have been content, but I am pleased that you know now. Do you and Yuu have any ideas on how to refer to her?"

"Ha, you and Yuu..." Yukari snickered. "Well, I haven't really discussed it with Yuu, but I was thinking the name Ava, after our grandma." Kairi smiled.

"Ava... That is an alluring name," Kairi told her. Yukari smiled, and nodded.

"I always loved that name, so I would love my daughter to have that name..." Yukari grinned. "Come on; let's tell the others!" Yukari grabbed Kairi's arm, and forced him to the kitchen. Yaya and Kukai were already there, making coffee on Yuu and Yukari's coffee machine. Kukai was explaining to Yaya how to use it.

"Wow, you two are up early!" Yukari exclaimed. Yaya and Kukai turned, smiling at the Sanjou siblings.

"Yeah... It's quite difficult to sleep when Nagihiko won't stop throwing up!" Kukai moaned. "And I also have the paranoia that Tadase is going to suddenly begin attacking me..."

"What reason do you have to be up at this hour?" Kairi asked Yaya.

"You could have just said why are you up Kairi-Kun! Well anyway, neither Amu-Chi nor Rima-Tan slept at all! Yaya was so annoyed! Well, according to them, Yaya was sleep-talking, but obviously not!" Everyone just looked at Yaya.

"Hey Yukari, did you tell Kairi the news?" Yuu asked. Kairi became alert to his presence. He gave his brother-in-law a smile.

"I did!" Yukari smiled.

"What news?" Yaya hopped up and down, holding her coffee mug.

"Yuiki-San, don't bounce with the coffee! You can spill it on yourself!" Kairi scolded.

"IT'S YAYA!" Yaya spat loudly. "Anyway, what news?" Yukari beamed.

"Maybe we should wait until everyone else wakes up. I'm sure they'll want to hear it!" Yaya pouted.

"But Yaya wants to know!~" Yaya whined. "Please?"

"I'm curious too!" Kukai whined. Yukari sighed.

"Well, our baby is going to be a girl, and her name will be Ava!"

"AWWWW!" Yaya squealed. "Oh my gosh, she can go out with Tsubasa-Tan! But wait... if Yaya marries Kairi-Kun, then they will be distantly related, so that's creepy! Yucky yuck. But aw little Ava!" Kairi blushed slightly.

"Wait... Since when was her name Ava?!" Yukari grinned sheepishly.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you that part!~ Do you like the name Ava? It was the name of my grandmother."

"It's alright... Ava's a beautiful name!"

"I'm so happy for you two!" Kukai told them.

"Thanks!" They smiled. Kairi watched the two of them, seeing their beaming faces. He was happy for both of them. He remembered when his sister was a teenager, and always took care of him. He also recalled when she first started dating Yuu, and how she always described him in explicit detail. It took Kairi a long time before he grew used to Yuu, but now he loves his brother-in-law, and he is happy for them.

"Good morning!" Everyone looked up, seeing Amu and Rima. Both were still in their pajamas. Amu yawned, and waved to everyone.

"Morning guys! Guess what; Sanjou-San is having a girl!" Yukari grinned.

"Really? You found out her gender?!" Amu exclaimed.

"Yup! Her name will be Ava," Yuu announced.

"Congratulations," Rima said, smiling softly. Yuu thanked her.

"I'm so happy for you!" Amu exclaimed. The cheerfulness of the room was quickly interrupted by a loud sound. Everyone glanced to the sound of the sound.

"What was that?!" Yaya wondered, jumping back in surprise. Her coffee almost spilled all over the place.

"Let's go check it out."

* * *

When everyone made their way upstairs to the bedrooms, they were greeted by the sight of purple-hair in a pool of blood.

"Nagi!" Rima cried. Kukai's eyes widened suddenly. He walked over to Nagihiko, and put him in a sitting position. His eyes were fastened shut.

"Where is the blood searing from?" Kairi asked.

"Dunno," Kukai muttered. Nagihiko's eyes flickered open. "Oh god guys, stay back!"

"Huh?"

"Just... stay back! Something similar to this happened yesterday." Everyone looked at Kukai in surprise. When Nagihiko woke up, his eyes were pitch black. There was no pupils evident underneath the blackness.

"Is everything alright?" Utau's voice drew nearer.

"Utau, don't come any closer," Kukai warned. Nagihiko lifted his hand, and sent Utau flying backward. In a matter of seconds, Kukai was there to catch her.

"What's he doing?!" Yukari asked persistently. Nagihiko walked closer to Kukai and Utau. Utau's eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Nagi! Hey, don't attack us!" Kukai practically screamed. Contrary to Kukai's statement, Nagihiko lifted his hand, and flung the couple backwards into the wall. Fortunately, Kukai did not hit his head, and protected Utau from suffering any damage. Nagihiko stepped closer to them, lifting his hand once again. Kukai's arms tightened around Utau. Suddenly, Nagihiko winced in pain, and fell backward, falling unconscious again.

"What just happened?" Amu asked solemnly. All eyes turned to Kukai, accusingly. He removed his arms from Utau, and knelt beside Nagihiko.

"I'm not really sure..." Kukai murmured.

"What happened yesterday?" Rima asked.

"Well, the same thing. He passed out in the bathroom yesterday, so Tadase and I went to check it out, and when he woke up, the same thing happened. When he woke up the second time, he didn't seem to remember any of it... I guess we'll see if the same thing happens." On that note, Nagihiko's eyes opened, fixated on Kukai.

"Hey Nagi, you alright?" Kukai asked, smiling inwardly. Everyone else went dead silent. Nagihiko blinked a few times. His eyes were not as dark as before. In fact, his pupils contained only the normal amount of darkness. His eyes looked completely normal, with the exception of the redness from being sick. "Nagi?" Nagihiko continued to stare blankly at Kukai.

"Why the hell were you-"

"Utau, shut up," Kukai growled. Not one person expected Kukai to ever say that to Utau. She didn't seem to surprised as the others, with the exception of Nagihiko, were. Kukai didn't seem to realize what he said, his concern focused solely on Nagihiko.

"What... happened...?" Nagihiko finally asked, speaking softly. His words were almost inaudible. They were completely cracked.

"You passed out... Do you remember why?" Kukai spoke gently.

"I-I must have hit my head... It hurts..." Nagihiko placed his hand on his head, and glanced over at the blood. "Is that mine?"

"Probably, I mean, unless you were lying in the blood of someone else which would be kind of creepy." No one cracked a smile at Kukai's comment.

"T-T-Tadase... D-Did he..."

"Not yet..." Kukai whispered. Nagihiko slowly nodded. "Do you need to rest? You must be exhausted. You've been sick all night." Nagihiko sat up, struggling. Kukai helped him to his feet. Nagihiko gave Kukai a tiny smile. He turned suddenly, becoming alert to the presence of others. His smile faded suddenly.

"Amu-Chan... you..." Amu raised an eyebrow, before Nagihiko passed out. Kukai caught him before he hit the ground.

"What about me?" Amu inquired. Kukai helped Nagihiko to his bed, and placed him down.

"You should rest Nagi..." Kukai murmured.

"How do you know he won't attack again?" Rima wondered, glancing at Kukai.

"I honestly know as much as you do," Kukai admitted.

"Wait a minute... wasn't Tadase-Kun sharing a room with Nagi and you?" Amu wondered. Kukai raised an eyebrow, seeing the emptiness of Tadase's bed.

"Yeah he was... Where did he go?"

"It may have begun..." Utau muttered. "Tadase's berserk phase." The confidence from the previous day seemed to evaporate.

* * *

"The infected people are making their way here. Also, everything is going accordingly with your son." An employee told Gravatus. He stood, staring out the window.

"Perfect. How far are we?"

"We're already at 50%." A sly smirk crossed Gravatus's face.

"Once Nagihiko reaches 100%, we will be unstoppable. He is instrumental to our plan. With him, we will be impenetrable; not even Miss Hinamori will be able to cease our plans."

"What about your nephew, sir?" The employee asked.

"When Nagihiko is ready, Ikuto will prove useless to the spread of the X-Virus. However, we still require him, for the end." Gravatus shook slightly. "Tadase Hotori has entered Berserk Phase. The guardians shall be on their way. Make sure to fetch Miss Hinamori." The employee nodded, and hurried away. Gravatus sighed.

"Big brother, I await your return."

* * *

Amu bounded down the stairs, fully dressed. Her hair was still slightly wet from showering, but she seemed to disregard that fact. She smiled brightly, emitting the only sign of happiness.

"Let's find Tadase-Kun! I'll be able to purify him, the way I did with Kukai and Rima." Everyone glanced up at Amu. Ran put her thumb up as well.

"Yaya agrees!" Yaya hopped up and down. "Let's go!~" Pepe nodded in agreement.

"Wait!" Kukai and Rima walked towards Amu and Yaya. "We should come too!"

"It would be wise to bring one of them, but the presence of both of them seems unnecessary," Kairi stated.

"We could both serve useful," Rima persisted. "We're healthy now, so we'll hopefully get our charas back soon..."

"Aw man, I miss Daichi..." Kukai sighed. "Please? We need to get out of this house..."

"Who's going to stay with Nagi then? Sanjou-San and Nikaidou-Sensei can't risk catching X-Virus," Amu pointed out. The two of them glanced at each other.

"I'll go. Kukai is pretty good at comforting Nagi," Rima announced.

"Wait what?! No! You're his _girlfriend_; he obviously wants you!"

"But you're his best friend!"

"Someone needs to stay with Nagihiko-San, since we do not know what will happen. It cannot be Yaya-Chan, Utau-San, or me because we are still healthy. We require Hinamori-San as well." Kukai and Rima glanced at each other, and sighed. They did a round of rock-paper-scissors.

"Oh great..." Kukai whined. Rima chuckled slightly.

"We'll be back soon..." Rima muttered. "If he wakes up, tell him that I..." Rima's eyes darkened. Kukai gave Rima a melancholic smile.

"Will do," He promised, giving Rima a thumb up. The five of them headed towards the door.

"Good luck!" Yukari called.

"Thank you sister," Kairi smiled, opening the door for everyone else. When they walked outside, they were greeted by tons of people walking around in the city. However, all of these people had one thing in common, and that was the dark color of their eyes.

"Oh my god, all of these people have the X-Virus?!" Amu exclaimed.

"It looks that way," Utau observed. "How are we going to purify them? This is way too many people."

"That's Kirishima," Rima pointed out, pointing at a familiar red-haired kid. He was walking with everyone else, his eyes dark black. Rima stifled a giggle. "I technically got him sick. Nagi told him to check if I had a fever, thus getting him infected." Everyone sweat dropped.

"Where are they all going? It appears they are all going in the same direction," Kairi thought aloud.

"It looks like a zombie movie!" Yaya exclaimed, giggling. The truth was, Yaya had a valid point. Many infected people were all walking one direction, heading toward the same place.

"The Easter Headquarters is that way..." Kairi realized.

"I guess that's where we're headed. Besides, Tadase is probably there," Utau pointed out.

"Let's go!" Amu announced.

* * *

Finally, they arrived outside of the Easter Headquarters. Hundreds of people infected with the X-Virus, mostly kids, filed in.

"OH MY GOD, THAT'S LOGAN!" Yaya exclaimed, before bursting into laughter. Kairi quickly covered her mouth.

"Who's Logan?" Utau whispered.

"A male in Yaya-Chan's grade that she pretended to have romantic feelings for, instead of..." A soft smile spread across Kairi's lips. Utau nodded slowly.

"There are so many of them!" Rima exclaimed quietly. "I know who many of them are, people I have shared classes with. My god, so many of my fan-boys are there..."

"Look, we can't just stand here watching them. We'll have to infiltrate through a different door," Utau pointed out. "There's a back entrance over there. Come on!" The others followed her. Utau turned the knob, and to her surprise, it opened. The five of them quietly crept inside. The Easter Headquarters was enormous, so all of the infected people could fit in.

"Tadase-Kun!" Amu cried suddenly. A familiar blonde was walking with the crowd. Utau gave Amu a dirty look, as she ran out of their hiding spot, and grabbed him. He turned to face her.

"Amu, what the hell are you doing?!" Rima exclaimed. Tadase shoved her off of him, and turned to face all of them.

"Let's transform!~" Yaya announced, beginning the transformation. Rima stood alone, sighing in remorse. When the four of them stood beside each other, all of the infected people turned to face them.

"Our odds are awfully auspicious, with the plethora of kids infected with the X-Virus against us, just four teenagers," Kairi muttered sarcastically.

"Five of us," Rima corrected. "Perhaps I can't transform, but I can still help."

"Let's just focus on Tadase for now. We'll worry about the others later," Utau suggested.

"Hey Tada-Tan, come look at me!" Yaya grinned, and threw a ducky at him. Tadase evaded it, allowing the ducky to crash into the wall. Yaya pouted. In response to Yaya's attack, Tadase lifted his hand, and aimed it in her direction. Yaya gulped, and dodged the attack. The other infected kids turned to face them as well.

"We're not going to be able to fight them all..." Amu murmured.

"It is vital for us to maintain our guards," Kairi stated. Rima quickly sneaked up behind Tadase, and grabbed him firmly. Her petite height was difficult to see behind him.

"Try it now," Rima suggested. "Amu, you have nothing to lose!" Amu nodded, turning to Tadase and Rima.

"Alright..." Amu formed a heart with her hands, and performed her normal purification technique. A huge green light emitted from her hands, and lit up the whole room. The other four squinted, adjusting to the brightness. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Yaya and Kairi gripped each others' hands. Finally the light disappeared, and the darkness surrounding all of the infected kids was gone. Tadase blinked, and smiled at Amu, before collapsing. The others followed in his example.

"Oh my god, did you purify them all!?" Utau exclaimed, turning to Amu in dismay.

"I suppose so..." Amu sank to her knees, and began panting heavily. "It was so tiring... I-I can't..." Amu suddenly passed out.

"Too many people are fainting today," Rima grumbled. Utau stared at the group of unconscious kids, completely flabbergasted.

"Wow, Amu-Chi was able to purify them all? That's great!" Yaya bounced up and down, grinning excitedly. She continued to grip Kairi's hand.

"We cannot stay here any longer. Gravatus is likely becoming wary of our presence. We must evacuate now," Kairi pointed out.

"It's impossible for us to take all of these unconscious people with us. What are we going to do, leave them?" Utau wondered.

"I do not believe we have too much of a choice. They are immune now, so our best bet is to merely leave them. Gravatus can no longer harm them. We can take Hinamori-San and Hotori-San with us, but that's about it," Kairi explained.

"Wait... Where _is _Amu?" Everyone looked up, to find the presence of Amu completely gone.

"Maybe she already left?" Yaya wondered.

"She was unconscious before though; we would have realized if she woke up," Utau pointed out. The sound of swift footsteps made all four of them glance up. From the distance, they could see a pinkette being carried by a figure with dark blue hair. It didn't take long at all for them to figure out who it was. Utau tensed, clenching her fists.

"Why would Ikuto take Amu?" Yaya wondered.

"Gravatus controls Ikuto, doesn't he? So clearly, Gravatus desires Amu, and she can purify the X-Virus, and he has the X-Virus..."

"But you can only be purified in the Berserk Phase!" Utau remembered.

"Perhaps his purification is an ulterior motive, but it is more likely that he seeks Amu to prevent purification of something more prominent..."

"Nagi..." Rima's eyes darkened. "Damn it, how are we going to cure him now?!"

"We'll have to get Amu back!" Utau pointed out.

"Isn't that dangerous though?" All eyes faced Yaya. "Amu-Chi is important, but maybe we should wait. It's too risky. Besides, do we even know for sure if Nagi-Tan will attack tomorrow? He was on a later schedule, right?"

"You're...right..." Kairi stared at Yaya in amazement. She grinned sheepishly.

"Hey, Yaya can be smart sometimes! When school was going on, Yaya had a perfect score on every test, well besides that stupid ninety-nine! That was so aggravating!"

"Well, I guess we don't have a choice to wait. Gravatus will likely be expecting us as well. Let's head back; I'm eager to see how Kukai and Fujisaki are doing." Utau picked up Tadase. "We'll have to abandon the others now." The others nodded, and followed Utau back to Yukari's place.

* * *

As the door to the house opened, Yukari eyed the four of them suspiciously. Utau placed Tadase on the couch gingerly.

"Where's Amu?" Yukari asked, puzzled. Kairi sighed in exasperation, and explained what happened to Amu.

"I guess you didn't really have a choice to leave her... Man, that sucks!" Utau nodded.

"Hey look on the bright side! Tadase-Tan is purified!" Yaya smiled.

"Hey, you guys are back!" All eyes peered up, seeing the auburn-haired boy draw nearer. Yaya grinned immensely.

"Kukai-Tan!" Yaya hugged him tightly. Kukai hugged her back.

"How's Nagi?" Rima wondered eagerly. Kukai sighed dramatically, and shrugged his shoulders.

"Fortunately, he didn't pass out anymore times, but he looks and feels like utter crap. Honestly, his temperature was extremely high, just under 106. He hasn't moved from his bed ever since the morning's interesting events," Kukai explained.

"Is he up to seeing anyone?" Rima asked.

"I'm sure he'll always want to see you," Kukai pointed out, smirking. A small blush was visible on Rima's cheeks, as she hurried away. Kukai sighed, turning to the others.

"I heard what happened to Amu... She'll be fine! Gravatus won't hurt her; he's too sickly!"

"Yeah, but we're more concerned with the fact that it interferes with Nagihiko's purification," Utau muttered, sighing. "Besides, I don't trust that bastard. He hurt my brother, and now Amu? If he touches her, I swear, I..."

"Utau, chill!" Kukai placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry so much. You need to relax!" Utau sighed, and nodded.

"Can Yaya sleepover again?" Yaya wondered, bouncing up and down. Yukari smiled, and nodded.

"You can stay however long this lasts," Yukari told her. Yaya grinned in excitement.

* * *

Hesitating, Rima stopped in front of Nagihiko's door. Noticing that the door was opened slightly, she peered in only to find Nagihiko watching television. Blankets were wrapped around him, and Rima couldn't deny how cute he looked. However, she wasn't going to be transfixed by his appearance. Gently, she knocked on the door. She noticed his head turn toward the direction of the door.

"Come in," He called. His voice was barely audible. Rima gulped, and gradually pushed the door open. An extremely small smile was visible across his lips.

"Hey... How are you feeling?" Rima wondered, sitting down beside him. He merely looked at her, and didn't say anything. That confirmed Rima's hypothesis. "Well... Um..."

"How did it go?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

"It was alright," Rima admitted, sighing. "They captured Amu..." Nagihiko looked surprised. Rima looked at his eyes. They were their normal honey-golden color, the same eyes she always was mesmerized by.

"Did you purify Tadase?" Rima nodded. A thought suddenly occurred to her.

"Nagi, how come you never did your whole flirting thing the way Kukai, Ikuto, Tadase, and I did?"

"That's a valid point..." Nagihiko pondered for a moment. "My eyes aren't black either. I wonder my progression seems to be so different. You guys didn't attack anyone before the Berserk Phase unlike me..." Rima was surprised that Kukai told him about that. Nagihiko fell into a fit of coughs suddenly. Rima watched, pity evident in her eyes.

"Do you need water?" He shook his head, continuing to cough. Finally, he stopped, and looked back up at Rima.

"Don't look at me like that; I'm fine." Rima shook her head slowly.

"No you're not. Not even close."

"I'm sick... There's not much I can do about it, is there? I don't need the pity; it doesn't matter." There was an apparent edge to Nagihiko's voice. "Sorry, I just..."

"No, it's not a big deal." Rima sighed. "I can relate."

"I'm going to be perfectly honest with you. I-I'm scared as hell. Whether it's tomorrow, or not, I know that my Berserk Phase is coming." Rima opened her mouth to interject, but Nagihiko held up his hand, silencing her. She closed her mouth quickly. "I know you all endured it as well, but it's going to be different, me acting as the obstacle. Even Amu-Chan might not be able to save me, especially given the fact that she is captured," Nagihiko exhaled deeply. "I'm doomed Rima-Chan; doomed for death."

"I thought I was done for too, as you probably recall. Yet, I'm standing right here, reassuring you the way you reassured me and told me I wouldn't die. It turned out you were right. I didn't believe you, and I highly doubt you believe me, but you're not going to die. None of us will allow that." Nagihiko smiled weakly.

"It was different circumstances. Yes, it's the X-Virus, but it seems to have progressed differently within me, perhaps an evolved version," Nagihiko muttered, sighing. "Sorry... I'm not the most pleasant person to be with at the moment. I pity Kukai, having to spend the entire afternoon with me."

"It's fine, I always like spending time with you," Rima pointed out, smiling softly. Nagihiko sighed. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot to tell you! When Amu-Chan purified Tadase, there were other infected people there, including Kirishima, and now they're all purified."

"That's good..." He broke into another fit of coughs. He covered his mouth with his elbow, as he coughed heavily. Rima watched, her eyes filled with remorse. He stood up abruptly, and walked out of the room, without giving her a second glance. Rima knew exactly what he was doing, based on the noises coming from the bathroom. Shortly after, he came back, and sat on his bed, sighing.

"Nagi, what's on your mouth?" Rima asked, glancing at him. His lips seemed unnaturally red, having something liquid on them. Rima knew exactly what it was. He wiped his lips with his hand, seeing some red now on his hand.

"I, um..."

"Oh god, were you coughing up blood?!" Nagihiko didn't reply. "Nagi..."

"Don't tell the others," He whimpered. He wrapped himself in his blankets. Rima noticed how delicate he looked, how broken he was. There was not one spark of hope within him. He was a burned out candle, with no hopes of ever igniting again.

"Do you want me to leave? You look exhausted," Rima wondered.

"N-No don't..." He moved closer to her, now sitting directly beside her. He placed his head on her shoulder benignly. Rima ran her fingers through his long violet hair. It took a while before either of them said anything again.

"Hey... Kukai mentioned that you wanted to say something to me." Rima gulped. She recalled her earlier conversation with Kukai and the message she wanted him to tell Nagihiko. Clearly, Kukai had not followed through with that.

"W-Well... I... Look, no matter what happens tomorrow or the day after, I just want you to know that I..." Nagihiko suddenly fell over, feeling extremely light-headed. Rima gasped. He hit his head on the ground, moaning in pain. Rima stood up, and knelt beside him. It seemed to be getting increasingly difficult for Nagihiko to grasp consciousness. "Nagi, I-I love you, and I always will." A hint of a smile was apparent on his lips, before his eyes slammed shut and nothing, including Rima's sobs, could wake him.

* * *

Amu woke up in a large room. One side was made out of glass and overlooked the city. She slowly stood, and glanced around. She had no idea where she was.

"Utau? Yaya? Kairi? Rima? Tadase-Kun?" Amu called, puzzled. Where were her friends? "Ran, Miki, Su? Anyone?"

"We're here!" Three of Amu's four charas floated up. Amu sighed a breath of relief. The fourth one remained motionless in Amu's pocket.

"Where are we?" Amu wondered.

"Hello Miss Hinamori." Amu rapidly turned, suddenly alert to Gravatus's presence. She snarled angrily.

"Where am I?!" Amu wondered.

"You're within the Easter Headquarters, don't you remember? You purified Tadase Hotori. Impressive. Take a seat, Miss Hinamori." Gravatus gestured toward a table. Amu reluctantly complied, gradually taking a seat. Gravatus sat down in the adjacent seat, directly facing her.

"Ikuto, will you serve our guest some tea?"

"I don't want tea," Amu muttered, her outside character kicking in. Internally, her heart would not stop beating. "And Ikuto isn't your slave."

"He seems to have taken that responsibility." Ikuto walked nonchalantly over, and poured Amu a glass of tea, despite her protests. Amu glanced up at Ikuto. His eyes were pitch black, no emotion visible. "Well, Miss Hinamori, I have a proposal for you." Amu didn't say anything. "Here is my request: purify me."

"Are you ridiculous? Why on earth would I do that? Besides, don't you need to be in the Berserk Phase in order to be purified?"

"It's my Virus Miss Hinamori; I can manipulate it however I desire." Gravatus placed his head on his fist. "I know you will accept my offer, because if you don't, I will dispose of Ikuto," Amu cringed.

"You wouldn't do that though. Ikuto's valuable to you!"

"Not anymore. Soon, my son's power will overpower Ikuto, thus proving him insignificant. So, I will have no need of Ikuto any longer." It made sense to Amu.

"...Fine..." Amu clenched her fists.

"You and your petty friends are awfully predictable, always foolishly searching for a way to save everyone. Sacrifices are mandatory Miss Hinamori; I have a feeling you will be learning this the hard way soon." Amu tensed. "Stand up. We will begin the purification immediately." Amu shook nervously, rising to her feet. Ikuto continued to stand there, merely observing the scene in front of him. Amu transformed, turning into Amulet Heart.

"Negative heart, lock on. Open heart," Amu murmured the common words she spoke, although with much less enthusiasm as she normally did. A pink aura emitted from her hands, making contact with Gravatus's skin. It expanded, filling up the entire room.

"Sir! We have bad news!"

"I'm a bit preoccupied now!" Gravatus pointed out. The employee ignored him, and continued.

"In the process of purifying Hotori, Hinamori ended up purifying all of the specimen."

"What?!" Amu's purification ended along with her transformation. She began to fall over, still conscious. Gravatus's features were still menacing, but he was now in normal light. He smirked for a moment, before facing his employee in aghast. Before Amu could touch the ground, something caught her. Amu looked up, stunned. She stared into the the eyes of the guy she loved, admiring their normal color.

"How long has it been since we've been together with my normal personality? Four months?" A huge smile crossed Amu's face.

"Ikuto! You're cured!" Ikuto smirked, pulling Amu into a tight embrace. Amu lowered her head onto his shoulder.

"You've never ceased to impress me Amu. Great job, purifying me, and everyone else." He moved his head closer to her ear. "Will we have some alone time?" He whispered seductively. Amu's cheeks lit up.

"Damn it! You should have warned me about this earlier! I could have been able to preserve Ikuto's darkness!" Gravatus exclaimed.

"I apologize sir..." The employee muttered.

"Shall we go?" Ikuto whispered, carrying Amu bridal style.

"I-Ikuto!" Amu whined. "Ugh, I can't believe I missed this..." Ikuto turned to Gravatus, a glare forming on his face.

"It's been a 'pleasure' accompanying you for this time. Good-bye my beloved Uncle." Ikuto opened the window, and carried Amu out of there.

* * *

The mood in the Sanjou house was dark and gloomy. Yaya cuddled close to Kairi, burying her face in his shoulder. Kukai raised an eyebrow at them, although he found it adorable. Rima restrained crying the best she could. Yukari and Yuu looked at each other, unsure of how to comfort the group. For obvious reasons, Nagihiko was still in his room, alone. Tadase, who had just woken up, sat down beside Kukai, not too pleased at everyone for leaving Amu behind. Utau sat in a corner, reminiscing. Suddenly, there was knocking on the door. All eyes peered up.

"Who would come to our door?" Yukari wondered, standing up to open the door. When the door opened, everyone's mouths dropped open. Amu stood beside Ikuto, their hands intertwined. Utau jumped up in excitement.

"I-Ikuto?! Holy shit, Amu, did you..." Amu smiled widely, and nodded.

"He's the same Ikuto as before! Your brother is back." Amu explained. Amu slid her hand out of his, noticing Tadase's presence. His eyes darkened, but he gave his brotherly figure a smile.

"Ikuto... Oh my god... I..." Utau wrapped her arms around her older brother. "I missed you so much! Ikuto, I can't believe it!"

"Nor can I frankly..." Ikuto hugged his little sister back. Kukai smiled, happy for his girlfriend. Yaya and Kairi stood up, greeting them.

"Amu-Chan, are you okay?" Tadase asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I... There's something I need to tell you guys..." Everyone looked at Amu curiously. "I had to purify Gravatus. He threatened me with Ikuto's life. So, I did it, but as a result, Ikuto became purified!"

"I speculated that one can only be purified if they are in the Berserk Phase?" Kairi wondered.

"He figured out a way, I guess..." Amu sighed.

"Don't worry about it Amu. It doesn't matter. You saved my brother, and I couldn't be more content." Utau finally let go over her brother, and gave Amu a hug. Clearly taken aback, Amu hugged her back.

"Ikuto! Would you like to sleep in the same room with the guys, excluding Kairi?" Yuu asked kindly. Ikuto gave him a small smile.

"Well, preferably, I'd share a room with Amu, but I'll settle for them," Ikuto said. Amu's face reddened.

"There's no sex in this house!" Yukari yelled. Everyone, including Rima, just stared at Yukari, in utter puzzlement.

"Hypocrite," Utau murmured quietly. Everyone burst into laughter, with the exception of Yukari and Yuu who blushed.. Kairi shifted uncomfortably, appalled by the thought of his sister sleeping with Yuu.

"Hey, I got pregnant on the honeymoon!" Yukari pointed out.

"Wait..." Ikuto's eyes widened.

"Oh yeah, Yukari's pregnant! They just found out today that the baby would be a girl and they decided to name her Ava!" Amu explained, smiling.

"Congrats," Ikuto muttered. The eldest couple smiled at him.

"Can't deny the fact that bed looks really promising now," Amu pointed out, yawning.

"Okay, I'll get you comfortable." Ikuto picked her up, and carried her to the bedrooms. Tadase watched, in anger. It took a while longer for everyone else to fall asleep as well.

* * *

**I decided that I will only have Author's Notes at the end of the chapter (let's see how long that actually happens). First off, I am_ so_ sorry for not updating in a while! I probably would have been done earlier if it weren't for midterms week and many other school exams. In fact, I did have a finished edition of this chapter earlier, but then I deleted the majority of it. I was going to leave it at a twist that I still do plan on introducing, but not yet. So, I almost restarted, and this chapter came. Secondly, some of you will probably murder me for the length of this. It was one of my longest chapters yet, taking 14 pages and over 5,000 words. The purpose of this chapter was to clear some things up. Fortunately, I have mapped out exactly what will occur in this story from now until the end. Just to estimate, there will be... five chapters left, before the sequel. That's just a guess though. Also, after I finish my story Babysitting Scandal, I will solely focus on this story and not update anything else. Well, this Author's Note is getting lengthy, so I'll end it here. Please review/favorite/alert! Hope you enjoyed! **


	14. XIV

_Her power lies with eternal love._

_Tall trees stood in the path of the pigtailed girl, firmly planted in the ground. The sky was not visible underneath the condescending trees. She ran, her heart beating faster than fathomable. She was being chased. Although she wasn't exactly sure what was following her, she was certain it was bad news. Her legs were beginning to tire out, failing to carry her away. She couldn't stop though, give in to the enemy. However, her legs felt like they were about to fall off. She had no choice. Leaning beside a tree, she began panting heavily, sweat drenching her clothing. The presence of the follower made its way closer. Yaya began shaking. She could feel the ominous presence draw nearer, its mere presence making goosebumps crawl on Yaya's neck. Finally, she could see it, the presence of complete darkness. It was no visible form; merely a black substance. Yaya speculated it was X-Energy. Why was it chasing her? She began to shiver and wet tears cascaded down her cheeks. She was so scared, scared for her possible death._

_Suddenly, the darkness was swiped in half. The sight of the green-haired boy made Yaya sigh a breath of relief. Kairi made his way beside her, and placed his hand on her shoulder. Her insides churned, not used to him showing affection. His eyes on her made Yaya feel like she was floating in heaven. When they both turned, the darkness was still there. Before she could blink, it rushed toward them. Yaya opened her mouth to scream._

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" A loud wail escaped Yaya's mouth, as she sat up suddenly. She was shaking vigorously. She sighed a huge breath of relief when she felt the warmth and comfort of her bed. It was just a nightmare.

"Yaya!" She turned swiftly, seeing the concerned expressions of Amu and Rima. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah..." Yaya shook slightly, clutching her blanket tightly to her chest. "Yaya just had a bad dream, that's all..."

"What happened?" Rima wondered, watching Yaya curiously. Yaya gulped, and explained her dream, with the darkness chasing her and Kairi.

"It's just a dream Yaya; no need to worry," Amu reassured. She sighed, and glanced at her clock. It read seven AM.

"Yaya's sorry she woke you guys up this early," Yaya apologized.

"Don't worry about it. I wasn't in a deep sleep really." Rima yawned, and faced Yaya. "Would you like to go downstairs and get coffee? I could get myself some tea." Yaya nodded, and hopped up. "Do you want anything Amu?"

"No, but thanks. I'm going to try to go back to sleep." Rima nodded, and led Yaya out of the room. Yaya ran to the coffee maker and began to make herself coffee. She couldn't get the image of the dream out of her mind. It couldn't have been just a mere coincidence, dreaming about X-Energy, or so she believed. Perhaps this X-Virus deal was getting to her and she was thinking too hard about it.

"Yaya, your coffee!" Rima exclaimed. Yaya snapped back to reality, and jerked her coffee mug, spilling some coffee. It continued to pour out of the machine. Yaya quickly shut it off, sighing a breath of relief. "You're such an idiot sometimes," Rima murmured, grabbing a paper towel and wiping it up. Sighing, she made herself tea, and followed Yaya to the table.

"So, what's happening today?" Yaya wondered. "Anything exciting?"

"Exciting isn't the word." Rima tilted her cup towards her mouth.

"Well, what's going on?"

"I don't know. I suppose we'll see what the day brings." Rima brought her lips to the cup, and drank the tea.

"Things have been rough lately. We should take a break, you know? Do something fun for once!" Rima lowered her cup, and sighed.

"We don't have time for fun Yaya; we have a virus to cure," She pointed out.

"But everyone needs a break!~" Yaya whined.

"Look," Rima glanced around for a moment, and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Nagi might be going through the Berserk Phase today just as Kukai and I did. Unlike ours, his is likely going to be dangerous and serve as some sort of obstacle for Amu. We need to prepare ourselves for it, and hopefully cure him." She sighed. "We can't take a break; do you really want to risk Nagi's life?" Rima took a sip of her tea. Yaya smirked inwardly.

"Wow Rima, you're sure in love." Rima gasped, spitting tea into her glass. She wiped tea off of her lips, and stared at Yaya in complete dismay. A blush crept across her cheeks.

"W-W-What?! I-I mean, I-I..." Rima faltered. Yaya grinned. "S-Shut up!"

"You're so in love! It's so cute!" She timidly looked at the ground.

"Whatever." Rima sighed.

"Good morning!" Yaya and Rima looked up, facing Kukai and Kairi. Kukai grinned, and performed a handshake with Yaya. Rima's face was still bright red from Yaya's comment.

"Why are you guys up now?" Yaya wondered, cocking her head to the side.

"I got out of my room since Tadase and Ikuto were still asleep and Nagi was still unconscious. I ran into Kairi and we went down," Kukai explained.

"Nagi's _still_ out?" Rima wondered, surprised. "It's been over twelve hours now..."

"Yeah, I'm worried about the kid too..." Kukai admitted, sighing. "I mean, he's always been like a little brother to me. I hope he's alright."

"For now, it is advised that we do not dwell upon Nagihiko-San's well-being. There is little we are able to do in order to alleviate his illness." Kairi pushed up his glasses.

"YEAH LET'S GO WITH THAT!" Yaya put her thumb up, grinning immensely. "Kairi-Kun, you were in Yaya's dream!" Kairi blushed slightly.

"What happened in your dream?" Kukai wondered. Yaya explained her nightmare and the fear that she felt. Kairi's eyes widened.

"That is peculiar. I experienced the same dream except for myself running and joining you. The details you spoke of are identical to the events that occurred in my dream," Kairi realized.

"We had the same dream!? Wow, twinsies!" Yaya extended her hand. Kairi glanced at her hand, hesitating before high-fiving her.

"People don't ordinarily have the same dream. How is that possible?" Rima pondered for a moment. "Is it somehow connected to this whole thing with the X-Virus?"

"Perhaps..." Kairi's eyes widened. "I truly hope I am greatly mistaken, but... What if our dreams are a side-effect of the virus? They could be hallucinations or something along the lines of that."

"Wait, but you're implying that you and Yaya are infected?!"

"Exactly..."

"Oh no..." Yaya whimpered. "Yaya's been surprisingly careful; Yaya doesn't want to be infected! Kairi-Kun too!"

"Kairi might be wrong..." Kukai reassured, patting Yaya's head. "Let's think positively!" Yaya nodded, smiling softly. "Well, why don't you get dressed Yaya? Let's get moving!" Yaya complied, and hurried upstairs to get dressed. The shower was already in use, presumably Utau, Tadase, or Ikuto, so Yaya decided to shower in the nighttime, and get dressed. She selected a nice outfit consisting of a pink and black striped shirt with jeans. After dressing herself, she left her room.

When she arrived downstairs, she saw everyone, with the exception of Utau and Nagihiko, downstairs. Tadase sat beside Amu with Ikuto on her opposite side. Kukai, Kairi, and Rima were indulged in their own conversation, paying no mind to the love triangle.

"YAYA HAS ARRIVED!" Yaya squealed loudly. Everyone looked up at her, and merely nodded in her direction. Kukai grinned widely.

"Hey Yaya, Kairi and I were talking before. When Utau is ready, do you guys want to go out and see if there are more infected people we can purify? We purified a bunch yesterday, but that couldn't have been them all, especially if they needed to cancel school for over a week."

"Let me just clarify by saying Hinamori-San solely purified the X-Eggs yesterday," Kairi added. Amu laughed nervously.

"Yeah, Yaya's in!" Yaya grinned.

"Can I come?" Kukai wondered. "I wasn't able to yesterday!"

"It's not exactly fun. All we do is stand there and wait for Amu to purify everything," Utau bounded down the steps. "Frankly, I don't even understand the point of Yaya, Kairi, and me. It's not like we can touch anyone infected, so we're pretty pointless other then the fact we 'help' by shooting stuff."

"Hey Utau, you're always useful!" Kukai pointed out. "Well, even so, Rima and I could prove useful by holding them back. Tadase, Ikuto, you two are going to experience not-so pleasant pain today, assuming you're on the same schedule as us."

"Thanks for the heads up," Ikuto muttered sarcastically. Utau smiled warmly at her brother.

"If Kukai's right, then you two should probably stay back. I wouldn't mind getting out of the house for a bit," Rima stated, brushing her hair out of her face. "Shall we go now?"

"I suppose now is better than never." Kairi adjusted his glasses. Yaya blushed slightly. The six of them stood up, and left the house. Amu waved to Tadase and Ikuto.

"So, how are we going to find them?" Kukai wondered.

"It seems like we won't be doing too much searching," Kairi muttered. All eyes peered up, facing the crowd of infected. There were many of them, even more than the previous day. They were all lined up in the park.

"My god, I didn't know so many people were infected!" Amu exclaimed. "I just assumed that it was only a small amount of people, but yesterday and today disproved that..."

"We were quite fortunate to evade the disease," Utau muttered. Kukai and Rima exchanged smirks.

"Hopefully..." Kairi murmured quietly, so only Yaya could hear it. Yaya gulped, hoping Kairi was largely mistaken. What were their dreams anyway? Becoming infected seemed the only logical conclusion.

"Well, we can't just stand here. Let's go on in!" Amu said confidently.

"We're just going to charge in!?" Utau exclaimed.

"What better plan do we have?"

"Souma-Kun, Mashiro-San, you two should reveal yourselves to them first. You will serve as a distraction. The rest of us will sneak behind them, and hopefully hinder their actions so Hinamori-San is able to purify them without much effort," Kairi planned. Kukai and Rima nodded, and hurried out of their hiding spot behind a bush. Kukai waved his arms around playfully. Rima rolled her eyes at him. The sickened people noticed them, but didn't attack them at all.

"Um, hello? We're the enemies! Come on, attack us!" Kukai beckoned. Again, they seemed to pay no attention.

"What are they doing? Why aren't they attacking?" Yaya wondered.

"I don't know..." Utau muttered.

"Everyone transform. Hopefully this will prove to be simple." The four of them transformed, and revealed themselves. They faced them, paying no attention to Kukai and Rima.

"Yaya knows that kid! He's on Yaya's bus!" Yaya exclaimed, her mouth dropping open.

"Cool," Utau murmured, not caring in the slightest.

"Hey, that's Seiichiro... He had a crush on me..." Amu smiled softly.

"He is in my class," Kairi pointed out. "He tends to discuss you often... _discussed_." All of them suddenly knelt on the ground, performing each action in sync.

"What are they doing?" Rima wondered, her and Kukai walking towards the others.

"It almost looks like they're praying or something... Holy shit, no they aren't!" They rapidly stood up, and suddenly shot dark beams. Yaya let out a loud scream, before getting hit by it.

"Yaya!" She heard Kairi's voice yell. Gradually, she fell to the ground, and watched the world spin around her. Kairi walked closer to her, but her vision soon darkened and the world was black.

_Staggering, she walked forward, her limp hindering her every movement. She was bleeding profusely, the blood gushing out of her like a river flowing down a stream. The pain was unbearable. She whimpered, and fell over, walking no longer an option. She could sense a familiar presence. The taste of d__éjà vu __was not very appealing. At once, Yaya realized it was a dream. She stood up with much difficulty._

_ "Come on out X-Energy! Yaya will take you on!" Yaya said, much more confident then she felt. The pain was excruciating. She couldn't see the X-Energy however. She turned around, but it was nowhere to be found. However, she knew it was there; the uncanny feeling of the darkness was almost palpable. _

_ "Yaya-Chan?" She spun around, facing the boy she was happy to call her own. _

_ "Kairi-Kun! Where are we?" Yaya wondered, puzzled._

_ "It appears to be another dream."_

_ "How come you're here?" Yaya wondered. _

_ "It was Hinamori-San. She was swinging her baton, and she hit my head on the head powerfully. It was quite painful." Yaya giggled slightly. Kairi narrowed his eyes. "Well, this feels so real... The X-Energy is ominously around us; I can feel it."_

_ "Yaya can too, but where is it?" Kairi looked at her, and gasped. Yaya cocked her head to the side. _

_ "Yaya-Chan... You're emitting the X-Energy, similar to the Berserk Phase." Yaya's mouth dropped open._

_ "Oh my god, but Yaya feels healthy! Yaya's in pain, but Yaya isn't sick... right? Right?!" Kairi pondered for a moment._

_ "It is likely related to the X-Energy that knocked you out cold. Perhaps it is actually on you in real life." Kairi gave her a worried expression. _

_ "Oh my god..." Yaya whimpered. _

_ "You'll be okay, I promise..." Kairi soothed. He walked closer to her, and ran his fingers through her hair. Yaya closed her eyes, and relaxed._

Yaya's eyes snapped open, as she focused on the real world. Her eyes diverted to Kairi's location. He was beginning to stir as well.

"Yaya, are you okay?!" Kukai exclaimed.

"The pain... It's gone!" Yaya exclaimed.

"What pain?" Utau asked.

"Yaya had another dream, but it felt so real... Yaya was in pain, but now it's better."

"Hinamori-San, perform a purification upon Yaya-Chan." Everyone faced Kairi surprised. His glasses shined in the sunlight. "It is likely the X-Energy made contact to her skin. I do not want to risk her becoming infected. In our dream, she was emitting energy."

"A-Alright..." Amu faced Yaya. "I'm so sorry Kairi, by the way. Does your head hurt?"

"No, I am fine..."

"Are you sure it will work even if she is infected? We usually have to wait for the Berserk Phase," Rima pointed out.

"It worked for Gravatus, so why not Yaya-Chan?"

"C'mon Amu, give me all you've got!" Yaya grinned. Amu nodded slowly, and began her normal purification. It hit Yaya's skin. Suddenly, the pain came back to her. Yaya screamed loudly, and fell onto her back.

"Yaya-Chan!" Kairi swiftly caught her, and Yaya found herself suddenly gazing into his eyes. "You're bleeding..."

"Just like in the dream..." Yaya whimpered.

"Are you okay?!" Amu exclaimed.

"Y-Yeah... It was just that brief moment, but Yaya's fine now."

"Well, now that Yaya's better, we need to purify these guys," Utau observed.

"Right!" Amu faced them, and braced herself. "I might as well go for it; nothing to lose. Negative heart, lock on!" Yaya stared at Kairi for a moment, admiring him. She reached up, and took his glasses.

"I can no longer see your alluring beauty," Kairi whispered, the most flirtatious he could ever get.

"Well, that's sweet. But you look so cute without your glasses." Without a second thought, Yaya leaned up slightly, and exchanged her very first kiss with Kairi.

"Open heart!" The radius of Amu's purification expanded wider than ever before. It filled up the entire park, the color of bright pink shining brilliantly. Yaya paid no attention, continuing her very first kiss. Kairi was in utter bemusement, but he kissed her back. Finally, the light disintegrated, and Amu collapsed on the ground. All of the infected people turned a normal color, and fell unconscious.

"Good job Amu!" Rima called. Yaya and Kairi separated, both blushing furiously. Yaya started giggling nervously. She suddenly felt the eyes of her brother figure on her, and the utter shock that his face contained. He looked appalled.

"Well, how cute," Utau murmured.

"That was the prophecy, wasn't it?" All eyes turned to Rima. "Something about love?"

"Her power lies with eternal love..." Amu realized, sitting up. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Wow Amu, you missed it. You missed their make-out session."

"W-We weren't..."

"That was too long for you two! Yaya, doing that much kissing can get you into trouble! You're too young for that! Slow down a bit!" Yaya giggled nervously again, and patted Kukai's head.

"Relax bro; Yaya can handle herself. Don't be like Yaya's mom!" Kukai grinned sheepishly.

"So, their kiss amplified Amu's power? Interesting... So, they do lie in the prophecy. That makes sense and can probably help us for fighting Fujisaki." Rima's eyes darkened.

"Yeah Kairi! Our kiss helped everything!" Yaya extended her hand. Kairi's face was as red as a tomato, and he paid no attention to the world. He was clearly in his own world, analyzing everything that occurred. "KAIRI!" Yaya screamed in his ear. Kairi snapped back to reality, glancing at Yaya.

"S-Sorry, I-I was merely..." Kairi sighed. "Yeah..."

"Let's head home. We can't help these people..." The six of them walked home.

"Oh yeah, Yaya's family wanted her to head back!" Yaya realized, once they arrived to Yukari's house.

"A bit late?" Rima wondered, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, it's not _that_ out of the way..." Yaya smirked, and turned to Kairi. "See you soon, probably tomorrow, Kairi-Kun!" Yaya leaned forward, and kissed him gingerly on the cheek. Kairi's face lit up. She moved away. "Yaya can't deny she liked that kiss." Yaya whispered in his ear. She spun on her heel, and waved, walking away. She was oblivious to the gawking expression of Yukari at the door.

* * *

Everyone decided to go to sleep earlier, since seldom anyone slept well. Gradually, the eyes of the only sick guardian opened. He was now in his own room, for the paranoia that he would start attacking. His eyes focused on the darkness in the room. He could clearly see the stars shining outside of his bedroom window. They were beautiful, impeccably hung up in the sky.

_It takes millions of years for stars to perish, yet my death is imminent... _He thought grimly, sighing deeply. Suddenly, a wave of nausea passed through him. His eyes diverted to the door, as he attempted to get up. It was a failed attempt however. He fell to the ground, not making a loud crash with the floor. Slowly, his consciousness was vanishing. He knew that he was slipping into darkness, the X-Virus fully taking over. Every thought, action, and emotion would be vanished and would merely leave an empty body, like a zombie. He could no longer control himself and whatever happened would be controlled by a virus. Perhaps this would be the last time he was himself ever again.

**I apologize for the delayed update. School is a huge factor, and I even had a minor Writer's Block. That seldom happens for this story! However, I can almost 100% guarantee that for the remaining chapters of this story before the sequel, there will be no Writer's Block, since I know concretely where everything will be. For fourteen chapters of this story, I have been really excited to write the Yairi kiss, and hey, what better time is it then to update on Valentine's Day? Although it was only slightly filler, I promise, it's going to get _really_ good after this and no fillers at all anymore. Also, I apologize for the trippy dreams. Well, I hope you enjoyed! Expect a rapid update, for I am so excited to write the next chapter. Please review/favorite/alert! (really hoping to possibly make 100 reviews from this chapter. 11 reviews? Gogogogo!) **


	15. XV

He sat in his reclining chair, menacingly, glancing out the window. There were already drastic changes occurring. The sky was darker and the streets were significantly less populated. His X-Virus had a major impact on the city.

"Sir! We have good news." Gravatus turned his head, facing the employee. "Your son has reached 100%. He is ready to be under your command."

"Perfect," Gravatus sneered. "My ideal world is nearly complete. Nagihiko will work to make this a success. He is unstoppable. He will eliminate the only threat that poses any concern; the guardians. However, even they cannot stop my plans any longer. My son will dispose of them."

"Are you ready sir?"

"I've never been more ready in my life." Gravatus turned to face the window. "Aruto, my brother. Please listen to my calling. Come hither, big brother."

* * *

Droplets of rain crashed against the glass window, creating a loud sound within the house. Occasionally, thunder roared, echoing the sound across the entire city. Rima sat watching the rain, her knees tucked into her chest. She was completely dressed, having been woken up earlier. Beside her sat Kukai, his red hair sloppily combed back. Next to him was Utau, whose fingers intertwined with his. Kairi and Yukari sat nearby, along with Yuu, Tadase, and Ikuto. All of them were in silence, the sound merely consisting of the pounding rain.

"This all seems a bit too familiar, doesn't it?" All eyes diverted to the soft spoken voice. She took a breath before continuing. "It was raining similarly when Ikuto's Berserk Phase began."

"Yeah, you're right," Kukai agreed. Ikuto's eyes darkened. "It's that same gloomy-almost feeling. Like, something's about to happen, but..." At that moment, thunder boomed.

"I like the rain. I like when lightning hits the ground suddenly and you never know quite when you will hear the impact. It's so unpredictable..."

"Wow Utau, you're so insightful." Kukai leaned closer to her. "Do you want to know something else that's unpredictable?"

"Well, it's pretty obvious you're implying kissing me. That's not unpredictable, but whatever." She kissed him suddenly, and he returned it. Ikuto narrowed his eyes. Rima groaned slightly, turning back to the window.

"Rain reminds me of the day I first got kidnapped... It was raining that day. That's why I initially tripped and allowed the stranger to..." Rima shuddered, hugging her knees tighter.

"That was a long time ago," Yukari reassured. "Don't dwell on the past."

"Yeah I know, but i-it just... I feel like my life just turned completely upside-down. I know I seem like an attention seeking girl for bringing it up, but..."

"Mashiro-San, we do not perceive you in that sense at all. In fact, we are merely content that you have chosen to entrust us with information about yourself. You are usually secretive when it comes to yourself," Kairi pointed out. Rima smiled softly at Kairi.

"Thanks, I guess I just-" A loud crash interrupted Rima's thoughts. Utau and Kukai immediately broke apart.

"What the hell was that?!" Utau wondered, her cheeks slightly red.

"It sure wasn't the thunder," Kukai muttered.

"It sounded like it came from upstairs..." Yuu murmured.

"But no one's upstairs, except..." Yukari's eyes widened. Rima hugged her legs even tighter.

"I really don't like this déjà vu," Rima grumbled.

* * *

Everyone made their way upstairs, and went to the room formerly belonging to Utau. Because of the fear Nagihiko would enter his Berserk Phase, Utau slept in the guest room with Rima and he took Utau's room.

"Well... who's going to open the door?" Yukari wondered, concerned. Rima stepped forward, and roughly pushed the door open. To their dismay, the room was an utter mess. The TV was smashed on the ground, clearly having made the noise. Nagihiko was still in the room, sitting on a chair.

"Fujisaki, why did you break the TV?" Utau wondered. "When did you even wake up?" Everyone looked at him. He seemed to be shaking uncontrollably. His eyes remained their normal honey-golden color, directed at the ground.

"I-I..." He raised his eyes, making eye contact with Utau. "I don't have a lot of time." His voice was barely audible. He coughed into his arm, and motioned out of the room.

"What's he doing?" Tadase asked, concern etched upon his face. Nagihiko lifted his shaky fingers, and pointed at Utau, and then the door.

"I think he wants me to get out," Utau muttered. He nodded, and motioned towards Yukari, Yuu, and Kairi as well.

"It is because we are all still healthy. He does not want to risk us receiving the virus. It makes sense." Kairi glanced at Nagihiko. "Good luck Nagihiko," He whispered, before following the others out of the room. Ikuto watched Nagihiko, as he leaned against the bed with his arms crossed. Tadase gave Nagihiko a small smile. Kukai patted his friend's head and ruffled it. Rima stayed farther back, and attempted to maintain a nonchalant composure.

"A few hours ago, I thought for sure that I was fading into the Berserk Phase. It turned out that it was like that other time where I was mindlessly attacking. That's why the TV broke..." He breathed heavily before continuing. "Unlike the other times, I-I didn't fall unconscious. I found myself sitting here, and that was right before you came in."

"How much time do you have?" Kukai wondered anxiously.

"I have no clue, but I can only assume it isn't long before..." Nagihiko sighed.

"Don't doubt us Fujisaki-Kun; we can do it. Look at the four of us, we're okay."

"Not really, we're worried about him," Rima muttered quietly. Nagihiko pretended not to hear her.

"You will be okay," Tadase continued to reassure. "Amu-Chan is amazing. Yesterday at the park, we discovered that Yuiki-San and Sanjou-Kun's powers combined increase the extent of Amu-Chan's purification. They are the eternal love."

"The prophecy is true..." Nagihiko's eyes darkened, ironically. "I really thought that it might not be, that maybe it was just a lie and none of it would actually happen, but evidently..." He suddenly moaned in pain.

"Nagi!" Rima moved forward, and made her way beside him. He glanced up at her, and couldn't even smile at her. Tears began to form in his eyes. Rima took his hand, and squeezed his fingers gently.

"I'm sorry Rima..." He whispered, his voice growing even more hoarse.

"Sorry? Sorry for what?"

"That I couldn't... be with you..."

"Nagi stop, you still can be, we can..."

"I don't believe that crap anymore then you do." Rima stifled her tears, and hugged him. The other three watched, pity within their eyes. Kukai moved away. Nagihiko moved his arms, and hugged her back gently.

"We'll do everything we can," Rima promised, whispering in his ear. "I won't let you die, I-I promise. I..."

"Shh..." He ran his hand through her hair. Rima pulled away from him slightly.

"It seems ridiculous. Almost three weeks ago, more or less, I wouldn't have felt this way about you. I loathed your presence. Maybe I had a crush on you, but that still doesn't mean I would... Now, I-I just... Without you I can't..."

"I know..." Nagihiko whimpered slightly. Rima placed her other hand on top of Nagihiko's hand that wasn't in her hair. She moved slightly closer to him, and touched her nose to his.

"I've told you twice already, but I..."

"Don't. It isn't fair that you've said it so many times yet I haven't even uttered it once. I was the one with the creepy obsession with you anyway."

"You didn't have a creepy obsession with me." Rima smiled.

"The others would beg to differ. Well, my point is... Rima-Chan, I love you. I love so much more then fathomable. I've wanted to tell you for so long." They removed the small gap between them, and began kissing, oblivious to the world around them. It would have lasted even longer if Nagihiko didn't suddenly pull back. Rima watched, surprised. He removed his hands from her, and grabbed his head.

"G-Go..." He stammered. He looked up at all four of them. "I-It's happening now. You have no time to waste."

"Nagihiko, good luck," Tadase whispered.

"I should be saying that to you." Nagihiko's eyelids began to close. "Rima-Chan..." The former Jack and Queen of the guardians was gone. His eyes opened a second later, revealing only black.

"Rima, get away now!" Kukai warned. Rima hesitated, before Kukai grabbed her, and pulled her back. Rima was in a complete daze. Nagihiko suddenly vanished from the room.

"Where did he go?!" Kukai wondered.

"People tend to disappear during the X-Virus. I've seen all three of you do it, and I can only imagine I did as well." Kukai nodded.

"We have to warn the others," Rima whispered, composing herself. The others nodded, and left the room. They all went back downstairs, surprised to see two new guest in their house. Yaya was sipping coffee, and shivered slightly. Amu watched her, saying nothing. Both of them looked up eagerly when the others shuffled into the room.

"Nice to see you Amu, but why are you two here?"

"Kairi called us, to prepare us," Amu explained. "Is Nagi okay?"

"He's gone," Rima muttered, her voice wavering. "He literally vanished from the house, the way that Kukai, Tadase, and I did."

"We do not have a moment to spare. We should get going this instant," Kairi urged.

"I'm going to pass," Ikuto muttered. Utau gave him a look of concern. "My head hurts a bit, which I suppose is slightly concerning but whatever."

"It's the aftermath of the virus," Kukai explained. "Rima and I had it a few days ago. It hurts like hell, but you'll be okay." Ikuto nodded slowly.

"Tadase, are you in pain?" Amu asked, worriedly. Ikuto rolled his eyes.

"Not now, but maybe I should stay back as well." Tadase sat down beside Ikuto. "I wish I could help, but I'm probably useless anyway. Good luck everyone. Fujisaki-Kun is one of my best friends, most like a brother to me. Do your best to protect him." The others nodded.

"Where do you think he'll be?" Kukai wondered.

"Easter," Ikuto muttered, without a moment's hesitation. "Fujisaki was a part of Gravatus's ultimate son, considering he is his son. Something about Fujisaki's variation will be more difficult. Lucky you will be able to find out. Anyway, Gravatus controls the course of action of the X-Virus."

"What?!" Everyone exclaimed, looking at Ikuto. Ikuto sighed, clutching his head.

"You didn't know that? The X-Virus began as an unofficial virus. It was merely some X-Energy that Gravatus put within me with a switch that he controlled solely. It later evolved into a virus that could spread on its own without the deliberate actions of Gravatus. He still has a lot of control over it, hence why he purified himself so early. I can guarantee that he will manipulate most of Fujisaki's actions."

"Oh wow..."

"Wait, that means everything we did as the X-Virus, was under his control?!" Kukai exclaimed, horrified.

"Not everything. Some actions were on their own. However yesterday, when you all fought the crowd of infected people, the reason they didn't attack Souma and Mashiro was because it was programmed to only attack Amu."

"So, there's some control switch?" Everyone looked at Rima.

"I think so, but I'm not one hundred percent how Gravatus controls it."

"If there's something like that, can't we just destroy it, and Nagi won't be as much of a threat?" Rima wondered.

"I assume part of Gravatus's master plan was to have Fujisaki act on his own." Ikuto pondered for a moment. "Look, you guys don't have a ton of time to lose, so just go. Go to Easter, and see if you can find him. Be careful."

"Ikuto, Tadase..." Amu smiled at both of them. "Feel better, alright? We'll help Nagi. We can do it." Amu patted her pocket that had a bulge in it.

"Amu-Chi's right; don't doubt the power of six!" Everyone looked at Yaya. "What? The six of us needed _some_ sort of name..."

"Whatever," Ikuto looked at Kukai. "Protect my sister."

"Will do!" Kukai saluted.

"No, you won't." Utau glared at her brother. "Kukai doesn't have his charas and frankly, I'm stronger and older even with his charas. He shouldn't be protecting me; I'll protect him."

"I'm talking more about your reckless behavior," Ikuto muttered.

"Oh. Well, whatever." Utau crossed her arms.

"Don't let my brother get hurt," Yukari called. Kairi sighed.

"We'll protect him!" Yaya held up a piece sign.

"Let's go for it!" Ran grinned. Amu glanced at her chara, and smiled.

"Now or never!" The power of six, as Yaya called them, exited the house.

* * *

The rain had not conveniently ceased for them. The six of them stood outside the Easter Headquarters, soaking wet.

"Yaya loves the rain!" Yaya squealed. She hopped into a nearby puddle.

"Yaya, you're going to get us all more wet," Rima scolded.

"Yaya's right! Besides, you're already soaked!" Kukai grinned, and splashed in the puddle with Yaya.

"Kukai, you're like a six-year-old in a fourteen-year-old's body," Utau muttered.

"I try," Kukai said with a sheepish grin.

"The time is growing short," Kairi persisted. Yaya and Kukai pouted, and stepped out of the puddle.

"How are we going to get inside?" Amu wondered.

"The roof," Utau replied flatly, glancing up at the top of the building. "There's a stairwell up there we can go down." The girls, minus Rima, all transformed. Yaya got on top of her giant ducky, Kairi and Kukai climbing on behind her. Amu picked up Rima, and the six of them made their way up to the roof.

"I always wanted to fly," Rima pointed out. "I always imagined flying with someone's character transformation."

"Yeah, well I can guarantee you weren't daydreaming about Amu picking you up and flying you around," Kukai pointed out. Rima blushed.

"Oh shut up..." Rima murmured, "I hope it still can happen..."

They landed on the roof, after flying up many stories. Utau landed first, and her eyes darkened. The others landed beside her, and ended the transformations. Kukai walked over to Utau, and took her hand.

"Oh my god, it's still here." Still hand in hand with Kukai, Utau picked up Ikuto's violin. "It's completely undamaged. How is that possible?"

"This was where Ikuto attempted suicide," Kukai explained carefully. Rima's eyes darkened, remembering a previous conversation with Nagihiko.

"Wait, this isn't Ikuto's violin!" Utau placed it down. "Where is his violin?"

"It is likely a trap. Gravatus may have realized we would use the roof to infiltrate. Place the violin in the exact way you found it," Kairi suggested. Utau nodded, and turned it the direction she found it in.

"Let's go down the stairs!" Yaya grinned, motioning towards it.

"Are we ready?" Kairi took a deep breath. "Once we go, there is likely no going back. It's now, or never."

"I'm ready. I feel confident for some reason; more confidence then I've ever felt before," Amu observed.

"We're all here for each other. We need to stay strong. I'm ready." Kukai smiled at everyone, and squeezed Utau's hand tighter.

"Yaya is super-duper prepared!" Yaya and Kukai high-fived.

"I want to blow my fucking uncle to hell," Utau murmured.

"Whoa, keep it PG!" Yaya whined. She turned to Kairi and Rima. "What about you two?"

"The more we dawdle, the more Nagi grows powerful, ready to harm us. We have to save him," Rima pointed out.

"I am ready as well, but we all need to be careful. No one can afford to do anything rash." Kairi looked at Yaya when he said that.

"Yaya will be safe," Yaya promised. They exchanged smiles.

"1. 2. 3. Go." All six of them shuffled down the stairs. When they reached the top floor other than the roof, they found themselves face to face with Gravatus and a few infected people. Nagihiko was not among that group.

"Surprise surprise," Gravatus sneered.

"Where is Nagi?!" Rima demanded angrily. Everyone was surprised by her tone. Gravatus however merely smirked.

"Is that the nickname given to my son? Nagi... it has a sort of ring. I like it. Well, he is undergoing some final preparations, but soon, the star of the show will seize the spotlight. However, when he's ready, you will wish he wasn't."

"No matter what your corrupted mind may believe, we _will_ win. We defeated the original Easter, so we can bring you down too." Gravatus laughed.

"My foolish niece. Your stepfather was weak and sought for the useless embryo. My plans are much more developed and realistic."

"You're all talk Gravatus!" Utau yelled.

"I'd prefer to be addressed as Uncle Kai."

"Fuck you _Gravatus_. Maybe you think your plan is flawless, but we will prove you utterly wrong. Nagihiko will be purified. I will bring down your ridiculous company for good. In fact, I would sure love to end you as well. I would love to be the one to end your reign, wipe that freaking smirk off of your face. It would be my privilege to kill you, my _dear_ uncle, and watch you rot in hell." Il smirked and El looked absolutely appalled.

"That's no way to treat your uncle. Aruto always spoke of you as the rebellious one. I suppose he wasn't mistaken. No matter, I shall let you guardians get to fighting. So long."

"You're not going anywhere!" Utau screamed, lunging towards him. Gravatus shoved her off of him roughly.

"Utau!" Kukai called. She sat up, and began to attack him again. As lunged for him, she was immediately flung backward. She fell backward, surprised that no one had pushed her back. It was as if air pushed her back. Kukai caught her gently. Gravatus turned around, and smirked inwardly.

"Let my final plans commence." The six of them watched in horror as an extremely darkened Nagihiko faced them. Unlike the other Berserk Phases, his eyes were bright red. He wore black clothing, similar to the Beat Jumper outfit. Unlike his transformation, he wore no hat. Darkness emitted around him, but unlike the others, it was recognizable that he was a human. Surprisingly, he looked extremely attractive, causing Rima's cheeks to redden involuntarily.

"Oh god..." Amu whispered, her eyes shaking. "Nagi..."

"Well, I shall leave you to fighting." Gravatus continued to walk away.

"Wait, but..." Kukai grabbed Utau's arm, and shook his head. The six of them stared at their friend. He lifted his hand, and shot a dark beam at them. They all dodged. The darkness ricocheted off of the wall, and nearly hit Yaya in the back of the head. Kairi pushed her out of the way, narrowly missing it himself. They exchanged smiles.

"Nagi come on! It's us!" Amu pleaded.

"Amu, you've tried this for every Berserk Phase we've seen, and it didn't even come close to working once," Utau muttered. Amu ignored Utau, and walked towards Nagihiko.

"Hinamori-San, what are you doing?" Kairi asked. Amu shook slightly.

"Nagi. You're my best friend, and always have been. I can trust you with anything. Basically I told you my entire life story. I trust you; I know you won't hurt us."

"Amu, it's not him! It's just his body, not his mind," Rima tried to warn. Amu placed her hand on his shoulder. Nagihiko pushed her backward, making her fly backward into the wall. Amu landed on her feet. Suddenly, her eyes glowed yellow. The Humpty Lock suddenly floated out of her pocket.

"The Humpty Lock?!" Utau exclaimed. The Humpty Lock glowed yellow. Energy emitted from it, reaching the entire room. Kairi and Yaya held hands. Two eggs suddenly floated up, and hatched almost immediately.

"Oh my god, Kusu-Kusu!" Rima exclaimed. Her clown chara uttered a giggle.

"Daichi, my man!" Kukai grinned immensely. Daichi smiled at him. Amu's eyes were still bright golden. An egg rose from her pocket, scattered with diamonds. It hatched slowly, revealing the original speaker of the prophecy. Dia's eyes opened, turning to Amu. Amu's eyes reverted to their normal color, and she smiled widely at Dia.

"Are you ready Amu-Chan?" Dia asked, her voice solemn yet powerful.

"Yes, I am. My own heart, unlock!" Amu performed her transformation with her chara that disappeared a while ago. Unbeknownst to anyone, Nagihiko began glowing black, the same way Amu was glowing yellow.

**Oh my gosh, I missed having a cliffhanger like this. I have been planning that whole Dia, Daichi, and Kusu-Kusu returning section for a while now. Same with the Nagihiko scenes. It's going to get really good these next few chapters, well actually, the next two since there are only two left before the sequel. This chapter took a bit longer then I would have liked, and I sure hope the next two come quicker. Everything will be explained fully. Well anyway, please review/alert/favorite! Must reach 100 reviews this chapter! Let it be known that this is my most popular story, and I also have an unhealthy obsession with updating it. Thank you all so much for supporting me thus far! Keep it up! :)**


	16. XVI

The rain was coming down even harder, pounding the ground roughly like sticks slamming on a drum. Ikuto sighed, stretching out his feet on the couch. He was still exhausted. However, the thoughts and concerns of his sister and Amu pestered him enough to stay awake. Even the thoughts of his newly discovered cousin were unnerving.

"Are you awake Ikuto-NiiSan?" Tadase asked, sitting beside him. Ikuto stretched his arms, and sighed.

"I've been awake this whole time," He murmured. "You feeling alright?" Tadase shrugged softly, sighing.

"I admit, the pain isn't the most pleasant, but compared to the X-Virus, it's tolerable," Tadase confessed. Ikuto nodded, and sat up. There was a silence between the two of them. Yukari and Yuu had gone out an hour ago to look at baby room ideas.

"Do you remember when the three of us used to play in the rain?" Tadase asked. Ikuto turned his head away from Tadase and didn't respond. "It was so long ago, but I remember it vividly. I was only five-years-old. Remember when we used to play Rain Tag? That was so much fun! I remember when I we used to splash each other with the puddle. Utau used to call us so immature, despite the fact she used to join in. It was just before her seventh birthday. Even Aruto-San joined in." Ikuto grunted in acknowledgment, but didn't really listen.

"I miss you guys you know. I loved you two. You were the best friends I would ever have." Tadase smiled sadly. "I mean, I always will love Kukai, Nagihiko, Yaya, and the other guardians, but you two were just so..." Tears began to form in Tadase's eyes. Ikuto sighed, trying to pretend he didn't notice.

"Just because we both fell in love with the same girl, does that really mean the relationship we once had is gone? Every time we played, every time we were there for each other... Is that all gone just because we fight for Amu-Chan's affections?" When Ikuto didn't respond, Tadase grew angry. "Ikuto-NiiSan, are you even listening?!"

"Don't call me that. We aren't brothers." Tadase's eyes widened, and his tears became very visible. Ikuto sighed. Suddenly, he felt a vibration in his pocket. He reached in his pocket, and took out the Dumpty Key.

"What's the point of that?" Tadase grumbled.

"It's shaking," Ikuto replied. Suddenly, two eggs appeared out of no where and immediately hatched. Tadase gave Kiseki the smallest smile, but it was clearly not sincere. "Yoru."

"Ikuto ~nya! Let's go kick some Easter ass!" Ikuto stood up and placed the Dumpty Key back in his pocket.

"You coming?" Ikuto wondered, without looking at Tadase. He nodded, and followed Ikuto.

* * *

The world surrounding the pinkette was golden, similar to Rima's hair color. She was floating, the world around her seeming irrelevant. She smiled, watching her small chara in front of her.

Everything about Dia was so perfect, something Amu missed immensely. Dia's smile was irresistibly cute.

"It's been a while since we've done this," Dia whispered. "I have waited to this for some time."

"Me too!" Amu agreed. "But why did you..."

"You must have many questions." Amu nodded eagerly. "I will explain everything, I promise. However, we don't have time to spare. You have to help Nagihiko. It will be difficult, but I know you can do it Amu-Chan. There's no one quite as gifted as you. You are the heroine Amu-Chan; the savior of the world."

"The savior?" Amu inquired, puzzled.

"Now's not the time to ponder. You must alleviate the darkness." Amu closed her eyes and nodded. "Open your heart!" Amu moved her hands in the proper way, unlocking her heart. Dia smiled and went inside her egg, moving inside Amu's chest. After performing the ordinary transformation, she had officially become Amulet Diamond. The bright light disappeared, as Amu descended to the ground.

"YEAH AMU-CHAN!" Yaya cheered, grinning. "You're so cool! Go! Go! Amu-Chan!" Amu sweat dropped.

"Shut up Yaya," Rima grumbled, pressing her hands to her ears.

"Bravo. Now let's fight Fujisaki, the way we've been preparing ourselves," Utau murmured. All six of them faced the darkened version of their friend. His red eyes shimmered menacingly.

"Hey Nagi! I know much you like basketball, so let's play a game of ball!" Kukai held up a golden ball, and bounced it on the ground. It bounced upward, and aimed directly towards Nagihiko. He reflected it, and ran at an impossible speed towards Kairi. Kairi attempted to dodge, but instead, certain ropes tied around Nagihiko which hindered him. Rima smirked.

"I missed this a bit too much." To her astonishment, Nagihiko released himself from the ropes, and turned to face her. Rima clenched her fists.

"Juggling Party!" She called. Juggling pins appeared out of no where, but unlike usual, they were spiked. Hesitating slightly, she tossed them his direction. He deflected them.

"Oh my god guys, there are still other infected people here other than Nagihiko!" Yaya exclaimed. Everyone turned, facing the others. Fortunately, there were not very many of them.

"I'll purify them!" Amu called confidently.

"Who else would?" Rima wondered. Utau smirked at her. Rima used her ropes to tie up the others, as Amu elegantly purified them. They all fell to the ground. Finally, it left just the six of them against Nagihiko.

"Nagihiko has an abundance of energy and appears to be quite nimble. It would make most sense to simply tire him out, and then hopefully Hinamori-San will be able to purify him."

"Let's hope it's that simple," Rima muttered, looking at her boyfriend sadly.

"It could take a while, but it is our best bet," Kairi pointed out. "We also cannot worry about harming him. We need to do everything we can possible." As he said that, Nagihiko moved quickly, and aimed towards Amu. Prepared, Amu raised her hands, and shot diamonds at him. Nagihiko countered her attack with dark beams. Unlike the dark beams from the other Berserk Phases, Nagihiko's had a larger radius and moved much quicker. The diamond and dark beam met creating a large collision. While Amu and Nagihiko kept shooting projectiles at each other, Yaya shot duckies at him. He lifted his arm, and shot them back at her. Yaya smirked suddenly, and pulled out a whistle. She blew on it, and all of the duckies surrounded her. Yaya pointed at Nagihiko, and they all went in a line, charging at him. Nagihiko created another dark beam, and directed it at the duckies. It shot through them, forcing them to disintegrate.

"NOOO MY DUCKIES!" Yaya cried, falling to her knees. She looked sincerely upset.

"Nightmare Lorelei!" Utau yelled, standing beside Yaya. She aimed the attack at Nagihiko. Again, he deflected it, having no impact on him.

"This isn't doing anything!" Rima exclaimed, desperately shooting juggling pins at him.

"It will take a while for anything to happen with this plan," Kairi muttered. "Nagihiko won't get exhausted for a while."

"It's already been an hour," Kukai pointed out.

"I do not have any other ideas, unless..." Kairi turned to Rima. Rima faced him, puzzled. He opened his mouth to speak, when the presence of a certain bulky man became noticeable.

"Having fun?"

"What the fucking hell do you want?!" Utau screamed at her uncle.

"I just wanted to see how my son was doing, how long it takes for him to eliminate you all. If you don't mind, I'd care to watch."

"I _do_ mind! Go the hell away and die! Stop this ridiculous plan!" Utau screamed.

"If you knew what my plan entailed, you might be on my side," Gravatus pointed out.

"I would never be on your side, no matter what! You're freaking using people as puppets and forcing them to attack and possibly die! That's unforgivable!"

"What if I said I sought for your father?" Utau froze. She turned deathly pale, and turned to face Gravatus.

"What about our father?!" Everyone looked up with the exception of Utau. Ikuto stood behind Gravatus, holding the fake violin. Tadase ran over to Amu, and smiled at her. For once, Ikuto didn't even notice. He gave his uncle an intense glare.

"So, the entire family has gathered." Tadase glanced at the ground uncomfortably. "I see all of your charas have returned." Kiseki huffed.

"Cut the bullshit; what the hell do you want with our father?" Ikuto grabbed Gravatus by the collar of his shirt.

"Well, I'm sorry to say, but you're not his only family. He loves me too."

"No one fucking loves you!" Utau screamed.

"Actually, I beg to differ. My son did love me, and in fact he abides by me at the moment." Everyone glanced over at the darkened figure who stood beside Gravatus.

"Aruto always saw something in me. He was even my rival growing up. My big brother... he abandoned me, left me with my wretched parents. I knew though that he would return. He loved me. He understood me. I need him back. And I needed something to seize his attention."

"Oh my god, you developed a freaking virus just to... have Dad return..." Utau looked utterly dismayed. "You...you threatened the lives of so many, even your nephew and son, just for... Oh my god. Oh my fucking god. I..."

"Ikuto, you were going to fulfill the role that my son is currently playing. It would be perfect; Aruto would surely notice his son was undergoing some deadly virus. He would return to me. However, it all changed when I realized that my son was apart of the guardians. I couldn't resist my temptation to reacquaint myself with my son." Everyone was silent. Rima and Kairi exchanged glances, Rima nodding slowly. "Aruto was always skeptical about the power of X-Energy. I swore to find a way to use it impeccably, and so I did. Aruto will see me. Once my X-Virus develops entirely and changes the world forever, it will be nearly impossible for Aruto to run away any longer. We will be reunited."

"You...You're absolutely insane!"

"Aruto always called me the Troubled One." Gravatus snickered. "You two have been searching for your father as hard as I am. Join me; unite with your uncle to bring your father home."

"Over my dead body," Ikuto clenched his fists.

"So be it." Gravatus turned to Nagihiko. "Son, eliminate them! Remove the only possible threat. My world that I have long envisioned is soon coming to be reality. My Umbrageous Universe." Nagihiko vanished for a moment, and appeared right behind Utau, shooting a dark beam at her. Utau gasped, turning around rapidly. Kukai was there, and slammed Nagihiko with his flying board. Nagihiko cringed in pain slightly, but quickly shook it off.

"See Ikuto, I keep my promises!" Kukai grinned. Ikuto gave Kukai the faintest hint of a smile, despite hearing everything about his father.

"I will allow Nagihiko to deal with you. I will return once you all have been disposed of." Gravatus walked away once again. Suddenly, he was tied up by ropes. Rima stood there, shaking slightly. Gravatus gasped, unable to move. Rima squeezed him tightly.

"There is so much more I want to do to you to compensate for the pain and utter misery you imposed on my boyfriend," Rima announced angrily.

"So, my son got himself a girlfriend? Interesting, the way he danced I was certain he was gay." Rima turned to Kairi. He nodded, and Rima hurried off.

"Where is she going?!" Amu asked persistently.

"Do you remember what she suggested before we left to find Nagihiko?" Kairi wondered. Amu cocked her head to the side, puzzled.

"Oh wait, wasn't it something about a control switch?" Yaya asked. "About finding it and possibly-" Kairi covered her mouth quickly. Gravatus's face lost all color, and the word "fuck" formed on his lips. He struggled to escape the ropes Rima had tightly wrapped him in.

"Let's buy Rima some time!" Amu announced. The others nodded, and continued to fight Nagihiko.

* * *

"Rima, are we going the right way?"

"I have no freaking clue!" Rima snapped at her chara. She suddenly softened. "I'm sorry Kusu-Kusu; it's been so long and I have no right to treat you that way..."

"You're worried about Nagi; I understand," Kusu-Kusu reassured. Rima was still transformed as Clown Drop, as she desperately ran around the Easter Headquarters searching for the spot where the control panel was kept guarded.

"Well, when did you begin calling him your 'boyfriend?" Rima blushed, searching around.

"W-We aren't really official or anything. We've both been too sick to actually do anything. It all started I guess when he, um, kissed me," Rima's eyes darkened.

"Wait, WHAT?!" Kusu-Kusu exclaimed, shocked. Rima sighed.

"It happened slightly after you disappeared. We were meeting at the Royal Garden even though I was sick. I was about to leave, when I tripped and Nagi caught me, character changed with Rhythm. He started acting flirtatious and then he kissed me."

"Aw how cute!" Kusu-Kusu squealed.

"Well, not really... That's how he became infected with this freaking thing," Rima grumbled. "Damn it, this room's locked! It's the only one so far..."

"Something important is probably in there then!" Kusu-Kusu pointed out. Rima nodded. She revealed a juggling pin with a spike, and attempted to use it to break the lock.

"Excuse me little girl, is something the matter?" Rima swiftly turned, facing an Easter employee.

"Oh, um, I was just, um, looking for something..."

"Well, that room is top secret. Stay away." He studied her for a moment. "Hold on, you look familiar... Wait, you're one of the guardians!" Rima threw her juggling pin at his head suddenly, and watched him collapse to the ground.

"That worked out better then I would have guessed," Rima observed, stifling a giggle. She knelt beside the employee, and found a key. "Aha!" Rima unlocked the door, and opened it. The room was enormous. There was a large glass window that overlooked the entire city. She glanced out of the window, watching the heavy rain slide down the glass. The city looked completely abandoned. Rima could suddenly see the city she lived in for over a year look completely unfamiliar to her. The dark world that Gravatus was describing seemed realistic. Rima gulped, and suddenly got back on task. When she turned around, she was facing a bunch of infected students that took her a while to recognize. When she did, she giggled slightly.

"So, it's Saaya Yamabuki in a darkened state along with her loyal followers." Rima cracked her knuckles. "C'mon Kusu-Kusu, I suppose we have a minor setback."

* * *

The eight of them continued to fight Nagihiko. Despite the greater ratio on the guardian and Tsukiyomi side, Nagihiko seemed to be evenly matched. Gravatus remained tied up, unable to escape. Nagihiko was out of his control.

"I hope Rima's getting close..." Amu muttered, perpetually shooting diamonds.

"Mashiro-San can be very determined, and no doubt the concern over Nagihiko is influencing her to move swiftly," Tadase pointed out.

"Kairi-Kun, look out!" Yaya pushed him out of the way of a dark beam, landing on top of him. Both of them blushed insanely.

"T-Thank you Yaya-Chan..." Kairi whispered.

"Nah, Yaya's just repaying the debt. You always save Yaya!" Yaya smiled. Kairi smiled back.

"Um, Yaya-Chan, can you get off of me?" Blushing, Yaya nodded, and scampered off of him.

Utau had transformed into Seraphic Charm now, and was fighting Nagihiko with her angel chara. Nagihiko shot a giant dark beam at her. She had no time to dodge.

"Utau!" Kukai jumped in front of her, taking the attack. He moaned, and fell to the ground.

"Kukai!" Utau cried, watching her boyfriend fall unconscious. "And I'm the reckless one..." She glanced up, only to see ropes lying on the ground. "Shit!"

"What?" Ikuto noticed the same thing as her. "Fuck! Gravatus escaped!"

* * *

**Another cliffhanger. Yes, we finally found out Gravatus's true motivations, even though we knew most of it. This was probably the fastest I have ever updated a story, but this chapter was slightly shorter. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and it pains me to say it, but await the final chapter. I guarantee, it is going to be extremely epic. Oh, and yes, Umbrageous Universe is going to be the title for the sequel. Please review/alert/favorite, and await the finale! It probably won't come as quick as this chapter did. **


	17. XVII

**I have been so excited to write this for so long now. The amount of fun I have had writing this story is unfathomable. However, don't forget that this is merely the completion of the first part. The first chapter of Umbrageous Universe (the sequel if some of you missed the official announcement of the title last Author's Note) should be posted in a few weeks, probably my Spring Break, which is late March. I'd love for it to be sooner, but I need to get ahead on some other stories. Well anyway, thank you to those who have reviewed every chapter. You guys make my day. Thanks to all of my other readers as well. Without further ado, I present to you the finale of the X-Virus (or, the XVirus, as this site refuses to allow me to include the hyphen). I own absolutely nothing, except for Gravatus and the stages of the X-Virus. Please enjoy! **

_ "Why are you here?" It wasn't a friendly greeting in any sense. The amount of contempt and hesitation was evident in the simple sentence uttered by Kai Gravatus. His brother Aruto didn't look at him, glancing to the side. "It has been five years. I have been attempting to contact you, yet you refuse to answer. Why now?" _

_ "Circumstances have changed," Aruto murmured, crossing his arms. He finally looked into the eyes of his little brother. "There was something I needed to inform you of."_

_ "What?" Gravatus raised an eyebrow. _

_ "Due to...personal reasons, I will be unable to parent my children. I am leaving."_

_ "Where are you going?"_

_ "That is confidential. Anyway, I need you to promise me something."_

_ "What do you want?" Gravatus wondered, his voice softening. _

_ "Protect my children, Ikuto and Utau Tsukiyomi. I do not trust my wife to accurately care for them. They need a loving uncle like you. Make sure they do not become contaminated, the way we were by our dreadful parents. I wish I could be there for them, but they need parents that can care for them. Be there for them, Kai."_

_ "So, they are Tsukiyomis, like Mother? Not Gravatus?" Aruto shook his head. _

_ "Do you accept?"_

_ "I'm not a father Aruto; I don't know how to care for them."_

_ "You have your own son brother; treat them the way you treat him."_

_ "I don't know how to take care of him!" Gravatus exclaimed. "My wife takes all the work. Can't you help me?"_

_ "My flight leaves in twenty minutes. I don't have time. Just promise me Kai; do not let them become us." _

_ "Aruto-Nii, please, don't leave. I..."_

_ "Good-bye little brother..." Aruto walked away. Gravatus watched as the back of his older brother's head disappeared. He screamed in agony. Desperately, he ran to the refrigerator, and pulled out a container of beers. In a matter of minutes, all six containers were empty. That job Aruto entrusted Gravatus was never followed through. Despite Aruto's fears, Utau and Ikuto grew to be contaminated. For the following year, Gravatus became an alcoholic and left his family. It took him ages to recover from the addiction. However, the absence of his brother never quite disappeared._

* * *

"Tightrope Dancer!" Rima flung her ropes and wrapped them firmly around Saaya and her gang. She knew that she couldn't purify them on her own, so she decided to simply leave them tied up. Desperately, she searched for the control panel. She knew that it could be beneficial to Nagihiko and his purification. If it helped Nagihiko in anyway, Rima knew she needed to do it. She had nothing to lose.

"Rima, I think I found it!" Kusu-Kusu yelped. Rima turned rapidly, facing the box Kusu-Kusu was referring to. She smirked inwardly, and began to walk towards it. Suddenly, something grabbed her viciously. Rima screamed involuntarily.

"Don't think you're going to have any access to that." Gravatus's voice echoed through Rima's ears. Her eyes widened.

"I-I tied you up!" Rima exclaimed.

"Not tight enough," Gravatus pointed out. He grabbed Rima firmly, and took out something from his pocket. When Rima saw what it was, she trembled in fear.

"Pull up the screen," Gravatus instructed. An employee nodded, and typed some things into a computer.

* * *

The guardians along with Utau and Ikuto stared at the ropes that remained on the ground. Rima's attempts to hinder Gravatus completely backfired. Their plans of destroying the control panel were gone. A computer screen in the corner started lighting up, and revealed Gravatus and Rima. He was holding a gun to her head. Rima look absolutely petrified. In the background, Saaya and her cronies were tied up.

"Well, hello there," Gravatus sneered.

"Remove the gun from Rima," Ikuto instructed angrily. Gravatus merely smirked. Amu continued to hold back Nagihiko, continuously shooting diamonds.

"I'm not afraid to pull the trigger," He taunted.

"What's the catch? You're not going to pull the trigger unless we give you something," Utau muttered, running her fingers through her unconscious boyfriend's hair.

"You know me so well Hoshina, my niece."

"It's Tsukiyomi!" Utau spat for the umpteenth time.

"Tsukiyomi, the maiden name of my mother. It is still a mystery to me why Aruto chose to use that name instead of our father's name, Gravatus."

"I'm so freaking happy out last name isn't Gravatus," Utau murmured. She stood up, placing Kukai on a chair in an upright position.

"Well, I'll make this simple. I won't shoot Rima, if you do me a favor. Concede to defeat." Their eyes widened, turning to Nagihiko, who didn't seem to have tired out at all. "Allow us to win. My world will be perfect. Aruto will return, and rule the land with me. Ikuto, Utau, think of it this way; you could be reunited with your father."

"What will happen to Nagi?" Amu wondered.

"Well, who knows? If you stop, he will not be purified. If he exerts too much X-Energy, it will kill him. Nagihiko will exert approximately the equivalent size of his house daily. Have you seen the size of that mansion? That's a ton of X-Energy, certainly unhealthy for him. If that pesters on, even for a week, he might die. So, make your choice: surrender, or your friend dies."

"Basically, we're choosing between Nagi or Rima..." Amu whispered, her eyes lowering.

"If you let me die, the world still has a chance. If you surrender, we all are doomed. Would you choose one life, or many? Please, let him shoot me. I...I wouldn't want to be the cause of Nagi's death." Gravatus clamped his hand over Rima's mouth.

"No matter what, they can't be together," Tadase whispered sadly. "They love each other, and it can't work..." Rima looked like she was about to cry on the computer screen. Tadase glanced at Nagihiko, who, for obvious reasons, seemed to not care about Rima's well-being. If he was purified though, and they decided to pick him over Rima, he would be so upset and angry with them. It was almost like Romeo and Juliet.

"The time is running short; make your decision." Everyone looked at Amu.

"W-Why me!?" Amu exclaimed. "Why are you all looking at me?!"

"Amu, you're the chosen one, or whatever. You are also really close with both of them, so it's only fair if you choose." Amu gulped, tears running down her face. She remembered the previous summer, where she hung out with the two of them almost every day. Rima and Nagihiko used to argue about nearly everything. However, it was never really sincere. When Nagihiko confessed to Amu about Rima, it all made sense to her. Perhaps he was flirting with her the entire summer, and vice versa. However, neither of them shared their feelings until the very end, and now, only one can live. Neither of them will be able to say goodbye to other.

"You have ten seconds. I told you once, Miss Hinamori, sacrifices are mandatory. Choose wisely. Ten, nine, eight..." Amu was shaking. She couldn't pick. It was impossible. "Five, four, three, two, one..." Suddenly, there was a noise heard from the screen. Everyone turned rapidly to the screen. Rima caught a juggling pin that had just circled the entire room.

"Rima you did it!" Amu exclaimed. Rima looked at her through the screen, and softly smiled. Gravatus dropped her angrily.

"Fuck!" He screamed, angrily turning to Rima. The screen was suddenly shut off at that moment.

"Mashiro-San!" Tadase cried.

"Utau, go see if she's okay," Ikuto told his sister. Utau nodded, giving one last glance to Kukai, and ran off.

"Oh my god, I hope she's okay... I don't want-"

"Amu look out!" Suddenly, Amu was pushed out of the way. She glanced up, seeing Ikuto, with his claws, countering Nagihiko's attack. Amu sighed a breath of relief, sitting up.

"Are you okay?" Amu asked.

"Fine," Ikuto replied.

"How come Nagi-Tan is still attacking? Rima-Tan destroyed the control thingy, didn't she?" Yaya wondered, puzzled.

"That's true," Tadase agreed. "He hasn't weakened in the slightest."

"Guys!" Everyone looked up, facing Utau and Rima. They ran over to the others, panting slightly.

"Rima! You're okay!" Amu exclaimed. Rima smiled and nodded. Amu hugged her friend.

"Did you demolish the control panel?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah, I think so. I honestly didn't have anything to lose, so I shot my juggling pin at it. Has it done anything?" Rima turned to Nagihiko. He pestered on, continuing to attack people. Amu turned away from Rima, and fought back.

"It doesn't appear that way," Tadase muttered.

"But that had to be the control panel! Did you see how pissed Gravatus looked?!" In front of them, appeared Saaya and her cronies. "I tied them up too..."

"Yamabuki-San!" Tadase exclaimed, surprised. Amu turned away from Nagihiko for a moment.

"I'll purify them!" Amu pointed out.

"Hinamori-San, we will figure out a way to purify her. Focus on hindering Nagihiko; we will be alright," Kairi pointed out. Amu hesitatingly turned away.

"I can try again, but it didn't work last time," Utau pointed out. "I mean, have any of you ever purified an X-Egg?"

"I did once, but it was with him." Rima pointed to Nagihiko.

"I did it with Amu-Chan," Tadase pointed out. Ikuto snarled slightly.

"That's what he said," Kukai grumbled, opening his eyes. He sat up and grinned, pleased with himself. Tadase turned dark red, realizing what he just said.

"Kukai, you're awake!" Utau exclaimed. Kukai grinned at her and stuck his thumb up.

"Did I miss anything?" Kukai wondered.

"You missed sooo much!" Yaya pointed out. Kukai pouted. Saaya and the other five followers were paying no attention to them. They were facing Nagihiko. Suddenly, they shot dark beams at Nagihiko. Everyone gasped, as Nagihiko was basically unrecognizable. The darkness clouded every feature that made Nagihiko himself.

"Oh shit, what did they just do?!" Ikuto wondered.

"It appears that they were able to amplify his abilities. There is evidently a plethora of X-Energy within him," Kairi muttered. Saaya and her cronies appeared to be tired out.

"Utau, you might be able to purify them now!" Tadase pointed out. "They are weaker and-"

"Are you implying I can only purify the weak?! I can-"

"Utau, shut up and just purify!" Ikuto interrupted. Utau sighed, and performed a purification with El. Fortunately, it worked this time. Saaya and the five followers fell to the ground, unconscious. Utau crossed her arms, smirking slightly.

"Great job Utau!" Kukai extended his hand. Utau just watched his hand, and left it hanging.

"Now we only have one to deal with." Everyone turned to the unidentifiable Nagihiko. The X-Energy was radiating off of him in high amounts. Kukai transformed.

"Go! Go! Duckies!" Yaya shot a bunch of duckies in the direction of Nagihiko. He deflected them, and shot them back at her. Prepared, Yaya took out her giant rattle and slammed in a similar manner to baseball. Yaya sent out even more duckies.

"Tightrope Dancer!" Rima shot ropes, and Yaya's duckies grabbed them. They surrounded Nagihiko, and tied him up. Suddenly, the ropes ignited on flames. Everyone looked at Rima, who was seemingly controlling the flames. "I'm sorry Nagi..." Rima whispered quietly. "Scorching Ropes!" It appeared to be harming Nagihiko. He cringed slightly. However, the ropes began to glow black, the color of the X-Energy. They disintegrated, and Nagihiko was freed.

"That was impressive," Kairi noted, turning to Rima. She smiled softly at him.

"Merry Merry!" Yaya threw out a tiny rattle, forcing her to go to sleep. Nagihiko, however, did not. He released X-Energy in the direction of the asleep Yaya. Kairi picked her up, and evaded the attack. Kukai shot a soccer ball at him, but Nagihiko made it turn dark and deflected it.

"Damn it! Everything we're trying has no use!" Kukai realized.

"We have to all try attacking at once," Tadase suggested. Everyone looked at him. Yaya opened her eyes, and hopped down from Kairi's arms. "I know he's as strong as all of us, but with all of the attacks at once, it's impossible to stop that."

"We have nothing to lose from trying," Utau muttered. Everyone faced him, and attacked with their strongest attack at once. Somehow, Nagihiko made everything turn to darkness, and vanish.

"What the hell!?" Utau exclaimed, in aghast.

"This is impossible!" Yaya cried.

"We can't give up...not yet, not ever..." Rima was on the verge of tears. "Nagi has been there so many times for us and he wouldn't give up. W-We can't. We have to find some way... T-There has to be; i-it..."

"Is there really a point?" There was no point looking up at the sound of Gravatus's voice. His iconic smirk practically echoed through the room. "My son has more power, even more than I would have speculated. I was certain that without the control panel, my plans would be doomed. I am pleased to know that the virus has officially developed on its own. This is impeccable. You foolish guardians cannot accept defeat, but you will. I am unstoppable. And my son's death is imminent. Once the proper amount of X-Energy is exerted, which seems to be happening quicker than I speculated, my desired world will be a reality. Aruto will return."

"And you will be the fucking murderer of your own son," Utau hissed angrily. Gravatus merely smirked. "You are absolutely corrupt. Y-You would freaking _kill_ your own son just to see your brother?! You...Oh my god, how the fuck am I related to you?!" Utau looked utterly appalled, as did everyone else.

"I was actually like you when I was younger, since we were both younger siblings." Utau slapped him aggressively.

"I AM _NOTHING _LIKE YOU!" Utau bellowed loudly.

"You're obsessed with your brother, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't kill people just to have a tiny possibility to see him!"

"Really? I've heard you do rash things for your brother." Ikuto glared at Gravatus.

"Well, I wouldn't leave my sister, so she wouldn't even have the option of this. We have a good sibling relationship, unlike my father and you. Because, one major difference between my sister and you is that my sister is not a fucking bastard." Utau hugged her brother, who returned it as he seldom did. There was a dark beam headed to them. Amu jumped in the way of them, protecting them from the attack. Utau let go of Ikuto, sighing. Nagihiko cringed, falling backward slightly.

"The X-Energy is beginning to have negative effects upon his body. The week I originally guessed is not correct, and perhaps it is within the hour."

"He can't die!" Yaya screamed. "He just...He can't!" Tears were pouring down Yaya's cheeks rapidly, like a river down a stream. Her eyes grew red and puffy, and she sniffled continuously. Kairi hugged her tightly, running his fingers through her hair.

"No... We won't allow it!" Amu cried. She threw a large diamond towards him. It hit him, and he cringed in pain.

"He's in so much pain..." Rima whispered, watching him sadly. Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Tightrope Dancer!" Again, Rima shot ropes around him, wrapping them around him extremely tightly. She looked at Amu. "Try it now! Utau said it before; we have nothing to lose. I don't know about you guys, but I'm not giving up!" Rima stifled tears, and uttered a rare confident grin to Amu, contrary to how she felt.

"That's the spirit!" Kukai agreed, although even his optimism was limited. Amu trembled, facing Nagihiko.

"Go for it Amu-Chan!" Ran reassured. Miki and Su nodded as well, grinning.

"I love you so much Nagi. You've been there so much for me. You're my best friend. I-I told you everything about me. I always wanted to repay that debt, and I guess here's my chance!" Amu's hands formed a diamond shape. "Negative heart, lock on! Open Heart!" As Kairi held Yaya tighter, the room lit up a golden color. The color was so bright, no one could see.

Amu suddenly found herself in a golden room, similar to how her transformation initially began. She was in her mid-transformation state, not specifically transformed with Dia. Dia floated up beside her, and cheerfully smiled.

"What...just happened?" Amu asked, facing her chara.

"We performed a powerful purification. Amu-Chan, now is the time that you can ask me questions. Any mystery that you deem appropriate to ask." Amu glanced at Dia, smiling softly.

"Why did you disappear? What was the prophecy? Why am I the savior, or whatever you called me? Why me? What..." Dia chuckled slightly, reminding Amu of Nagihiko.

"Relax Amu." Dia exhaled deeply. "The prophecy came to me when I spoke to Rhythm. I do not know the exact reason why I got it, but I can assume it had something to do with Rhythm, since Nagihiko was the obstacle. To explain the prophecy in simple terms, Ikuto was the one that started everything, hence the catalyst. You were the one that had the ability to save the world from the incoming darkness, which was the X-Virus. As you already figured, eternal love meant Yaya and Kairi, who had always been there from the start and remained healthy. The one obstacle that altered your positive prospects was Nagihiko obviously. The chaos and destruction was the X-Energy he emitted, as Gravatus explained." Amu thought for a moment.

"Wow... I guess that makes sense now. Well, what about the rest of the questions?"

"I disappeared because my power had to be stored for this moment. I knew that I would be the one you would be purifying Nagihiko with. I needed to store my energy so it could accurately counteract Nagihiko. As for why it was you... Amu-Chan, you have always been the heroine. You stopped Ikuto as Death Rebel, which could be considered an early version of the Berserk Phase of the X-Virus. Perhaps that is where Gravatus received the idea from. Your immunity to the virus was because, technically, you already caught it."

"Huh?" Amu looked up surprised.

"As Gravatus realized, he didn't have complete control over it. When you originally cured Ikuto from the Death Rebel, you actually had a weakened version of it within you, almost acting as a vaccine. Although the X-Virus evolved frequently, hence Nagihiko's stronger power, your immunity strengthened and you became fully resistant."

"Why did I cough that one time though?" Amu asked.

"Your body had not recognized the X-Virus as the same pathogen as what you received before right away. Later though, it recognized it and you became sick." Amu nodded slowly, still taking in everything.

"Is that why Utau couldn't purify the other infected, except for Saaya?" Amu asked. Dia nodded.

"She was not immune. In fact, if Nagihiko had not been the obstacle and he was purified earlier, him and Rima could have purified as well." Amu thought back to something for a moment.

"Dia... I remember one of the times during Nagi's Pre-Berserk Phase, he looked at me and looked surprised before he passed out. Do you know what that means?" Amu asked.

"He saw at that moment the power you had, I can only guess. He saw the potential you had. However, when he woke up again, he forgot." Amu nodded, slowly taking in everything.

"One final question." Dia looked at Amu, smiling kindly. "Is...Is everything over now? The X-Virus? Is Nagi cured?" Dia didn't respond. "Dia?"

"I don't know," Dia finally replied. Suddenly, the golden light vanished. Amu found herself back in reality. The world surrounding her, the Easter Headquarters, seemed so unfamiliar. She fell backward, being immediately caught by Ikuto.

"What did I miss?" Amu wondered, standing up with Ikuto's aid.

"Nothing really. There was just a huge bright light, but that's really it," Ikuto explained. "What about you?"

"I...found out a lot," Amu muttered. She turned to Nagihiko rapidly. He looked like a normal human again, except that he looked like he was in immense pain. He knelt against the wall, and cringed.

"Fujisaki, you alright?" Utau wondered, walking towards him. Kukai sat beside him, patting his head. Nagihiko didn't reply and seemed to pay no attention to Utau. Amu ran over to him, and knelt in front of him. He glanced up at her.

"Nagi! It's nice to see you, without darkness." Amu laughed slightly. He didn't crack a smile. He seemed extremely distant.

"What's going on with him?!" Rima wondered, persistent. She walked over as well, but stayed slightly farther back.

"I don't really know," Kukai admitted dryly. "Nagi, man? Can you hear us?" Again, he didn't respond. "Nagi?" He groaned slightly. Loud, bulky footsteps suddenly drew closer to Nagihiko.

"Stay away from him!" Utau and Ikuto barked in unison. Amu was surprised by their sudden protection of Nagihiko.

"Relax, I'm his father," Gravatus knelt beside him. He took out a needle, and injected it in Nagihiko's skin.

"Nagi!" Rima cried, grabbing his hand. He bellowed in pain. His screams echoed through the building. Gravatus stood up, smirking slightly.

"Good job Amu Hinamori. I was certain that he would remain in the Berserk Phase until he died. However, I do not care." Gravatus glanced out the window. "He has exerted enough X-Energy for my plan to come true." He laughed evilly. "Surely, Aruto cannot miss this!"

"What did you inject him with?!" Amu wondered.

"Just some excess X-Energy. To preserve the darkness I have created." Gravatus snarled. "Well, I have some business to deal with. Fortunately for you, that purification eliminated the remaining X-Virus cases remaining. You can enjoy my world as much as I do. Just watch the show. It will be brilliant." Gravatus laughed as he walked away.

"Hey Nagi, you feeling alright?" Kukai asked. Very subtly, Nagihiko shook his head. Kukai sighed, and helped him up.

"We should head back to Yukari's; we can care for him there." The others complied, and started for Yukari's place.

* * *

"Oh my god, is he okay?!" Yukari exclaimed, as Kukai and Ikuto helped him into the house. Utau had wanted to help, but she was convinced not to because he could still be contagious with the extra X-Energy. They placed Nagihiko on the couch. His face turned slightly green.

"I think he's going to throw up," Tadase muttered. Yuu brought out a bucket, and allowed Nagihiko to puke in it. To everyone's disgust, it lasted a while. After a few minutes, he stopped, and moaned quietly. Rima got him a paper towel, and gingerly wiped his mouth. After doing so, she sighed, and hugged him softly. She let go quickly, and threw out the paper towel. His face was pale.

"Is he still sick?" Yukari wondered, concerned.

"I purified him, but he doesn't look too great," Amu admitted.

"Oh god guys, his vomit contains just a tint of black," Kukai muttered, grossed out.

"You mean like..."

"Yup." Yuu took the bucket, and washed it quickly.

"Hey Nagi..." Amu smiled at him. He glanced at her for a moment.

"D-D-Did you do it?" He asked weakly, cringing slightly.

"I...I don't..." Before Amu could finish, Nagihiko's eyes closed. He was sleeping peacefully, almost too peacefully to be concerning.

"I-Is he..." Rima looked frightened. Kairi started to walk towards him.

"Kairi-Kun, what if he isn't cured?" Yaya wondered.

"Gravatus seemed to heavily imply that he was cured. I doubt he would lie about something like that." Kairi lifted Nagihiko's wrist, and checked his pulse. "He's breathing." Everyone sighed a huge breath of relief.

"I'll put him in a room. Utau, Ikuto, could I have some assistance?" The two of them nodded, helping to lift Nagihiko with Yuu. The others glanced out the window.

"The world looks so different," Tadase whispered, sighing.

"Is this how it's going to be for some time?" Rima asked, tucking her knees into her chest. "This world full of darkness?"

"Let's hope not," Amu muttered. The world that the guardians knew was gone.

* * *

The seas were rapidly moving back and forth. The boat was unstable.

"The sky is completely dark," A sailor announced, glancing up. "It isn't thunder though; it's too dark for that."

"You're right! I can't even see the moon!" Another sailor exclaimed, appalled. The captain of the ship watched, his eyes darkening.

"That isn't natural; it cannot be..." His eyes widened.

"Sir?" The sailors turned to their captain. "What is it?"

"Something I was certain I would never see again," He muttered. He faced the driver of the boat. "Eric, we can't focus on the main goal we were going to. Turn around; we're heading to Japan."

"Captain, why is that?" The man, Eric, wondered.

"I have something I need to check out." Suddenly, a huge wave toppled their ship. The sailors screamed, as the ship fell over.

"Abandon ship!" Crew members screamed, jumping into the ocean. The captain, sighed, unable to care for his ship. He had grown to adore the ship, but his life was much more valuable.

"Captain Aruto! You cannot dawdle!" A sailor yelled.

"Yes..." Aruto turned to the sky for a moment, sighing. "Easter... I suppose you have not ceased your actions." He, then, jumped into the ocean.

**I can't believe this is actually over. Thank goodness for the sequel. Well, since there will be a long gap from the end of this story to the start of Umbrageous Universe, I am probably going to post 1-3 bonus chapters that set up for the beginning of that story. I hope you all enjoyed this story, and please review. Also, please alert to me so you know when I post the next story. So, alert to me! I'll be posting the bonus chapters at some point. If you have any questions about the story or how I wrote it etc, feel free to leave it in a review or PM me. Thanks so much! See you soon. **


	18. XVIII: Bonus Chapter

**Hello everyone! This is the first and only bonus chapter that will help fill the large gap from the end of X-Virus to Umbrageous Universe. Just for your own benefit, X-Virus ended approximately the very beginning of October, in case you were confused. These bonus chapters are not going to be too revealing. You won't know what happened since the world changed. They're mostly for fun and have some hints of events that will occur/occurred. Well, I own merely the X-Virus and Gravatus, and enjoy.**

**December 24th **

Black and snow did not mix well together. The aspect that made snow special was the fact that it was so pure and white. There was no other weather condition that could do that. Snowmen were now built, containing random blotches of dark energy within them. This idea of a mixture between black and white gave Yaya the brilliant idea of making a snow penguin.

"Yaya-Chan, is there a particular reason you had for choosing me to help erect this, opposed to anyone else?" Kairi muttered, sighing. "In case you were unaware, I am not fond of the snow. I would prefer to gain warmth from inside."

"Yaya chose you because you're Yaya's boyfriend!" Yaya announced.

"Souma-Kun acts as a brother to you; why could you not instruct him to aid you in your construction?"

"Kukai's too busy making out with Utau for like the fiftieth time this week alone!" Yaya whined. "It's soooo gross! Yaya really hopes Kukai is still a virgin. He's too young to lose that!"

"Yaya, please, stop talking," Kairi murmured, getting slightly uncomfortable.

"Is Kairi-Kun grossed out?" Yaya teased, playfully shoving him. "It's just sex Kairi! SEX!"

"Ever since Yukari became pregnant, the idea of sexual intercourse became overwhelming. Romance was always something that never ceased to baffle me."

"Why are you guys talking about sex? Seems odd." Both Yaya and Kairi started blushing profusely. Rima walked outside, earmuffs over her ears. She wore a pink snow jacket and tall boots.

"Rima, I would advise you to walk back inside..." Kairi suggested. Rima and him developed a closer bond, so they felt comfortable addressing each other without honorifics.

"Why?" Rima wondered.

"YAY SOMEONE ELSE TO HELP OUT WITH THE SNOW PANDA!" Yaya squealed, grinning immensely.

"Oh geez," Rima muttered, sighing. "Whatever; nothing better to do." She knelt beside them.

"What is everyone else doing?" Kairi wondered.

"Amu and Ikuto are acting all flirty, well, Amu is blushing and Ikuto is being creepy. Tadase is getting angrier. Kukai and Utau are making out, and no Yaya, nothing more," Rima explained.

"Wait, how do you know?" Yaya wondered.

"I looked," Rima replied bluntly.

"Ew, what if they were doing something else?" Yaya wondered, grossed out. Rima ignored her question.

"So, how are you exactly going to make a snow penguin?" Rima muttered.

"It will be easy!" Yaya pointed out. She got a ball of snow, and began rolling it into a foot shape.

"It is likely you will need to begin with a base. It will not stand otherwise," Kairi observed.

"Shh!" Yaya continued making the feet, ignoring Kairi's suggestion. She began building up the body, which almost immediately collapsed. Kairi and Rima stifled laughter. "Shut up!" Yaya whined.

"That was bound to fail," Rima pointed out. Yaya stuck out her tongue.

"What was with the sudden urgency to construct this?" Kairi asked. Yaya grinned.

"Yaya wanted Santa to see something when he came to this house!" Yaya exclaimed, bouncing.

"Wait, you still believe in Santa?!" Rima exclaimed, her mouth dropping open. Kairi, too, looked stunned.

"Why wouldn't Yaya believe in Santa? He's real, so obviously he'll come! Yaya sure hopes the X-Energy doesn't stop his travels..." Kairi and Rima exchanged nervous glances.

"Yaya-Chan... It is quite likely that the X-Energy will hinder Santa Claus's pathway," Kairi stated, adjusting his glasses. "Even airplanes are flying in limited amounts."

"Yeah, but Santa's sleigh is magical!" Yaya whined. "YAYA NEEDS HER PRESENTS." Rima and Kairi gulped.

"Santa isn't real." Three pairs of eyes peered up at the blonde pop-star. Utau's hair was tied back and she was unrecognizable to the public.

"Utau! You can't..." Kukai sighed, standing beside her.

"Um... Yes, yes he is! Yaya has seen him with her own two eyes!" Yaya pointed out. Kukai laughed nervously, and patted Yaya's head.

"Santa is totally real! Utau's just crazy!" Kukai grinned. "He's like, real. Really real. As real as...us. Ha. Ha."

"Kukai, you're a terrible liar," Utau pointed out.

"What, no that's the total truth! Damn, where's Nagi when we need him?" Rima glanced at the ground.

"Kukai, you've always told Yaya that Santa is real..." Yaya turned to Kukai, her eyes watery. Kukai gulped, and turned to the other three. They all shrugged. He took a deep breath, facing Yaya.

"I'm sorry Yaya..." Kukai whispered.

"B-But that day! Y-Yaya was seven-years-old. Yaya saw Santa! He even smiled and said his familiar ho ho ho..."

"That was me..." Kukai admitted, scratching the back of his head. "Those cookies tasted delicious..." Pepe suddenly snorted, prompting Yaya to laugh hysterically. She fell to her knees, and laughed loudly in the snow.

"Haha, you guys fell for it!" Yaya giggled. "Yaya has known for ages that Santa-Tan isn't real! Yaya was just joshing with you!"

"W-Why didn't you tell me?!" Kukai exclaimed.

"It was funny!" Yaya grinned immensely. "Yaya has known Santa was fake ever since that day. Yaya knew it was you Kukai!"

"Very funny Yaya," Rima muttered, unamused. "Can we go inside? I'm cold." The others complied, and followed Rima back inside.

"How was your snow penguin?" Yukari asked, walking towards them. She held two cups of hot chocolate which she handed to Yaya and Kairi.

"It failed..." Yaya whined. "Oh well!" Yaya twirled around.

"I am quite surprised that you are doing work," Kairi observed. "I would have normally speculated you would have ordered Yuu to deliver the hot chocolates."

"Well, I didn't trust him to deliver them without tripping, so here I am," Yukari explained. She smiled. It was extremely evident that Yukari was pregnant now. It wasn't as noticeable as some other women, but she was six months in.

"Well it's getting late. I'm going to head to bed. Night!" Kukai announced, kissing Utau's cheek, and hurrying off to his bedroom.

"Maybe Santa will come tonight," Utau pointed out, smirking at Yaya. Yaya grinned, sticking her tongue out at her.

* * *

Rima changed into her nightgown, and crept out of the room she shared with Amu and Yaya. She walked over to the door of the room adjacent to hers, and opened it. Unlike the other bedrooms, it only contained one person. Not to her surprise, his eyes were still fastened shut, the way that they had been for two months now. She walked closer to him, and checked his pulse as she did every day. It was still beating.

"Hey Nagi," Rima greeted. For obvious reasons, he did not reply. She kissed his cheek gently, and sighed, sitting beside him.

"When will he wake from his coma?" Kusu-Kusu wondered, floating up.

"If only I knew..." Rima sighed, running her hand through his long, purple hair. He looked beautiful in his coma. His skin felt soft and his hair was still neatly combed, mostly thanks to Rima.

"It can't be much longer! Two months is a long time so it can't be a while more!" Kusu-Kusu pointed out.

"One can only hope..." Rima sighed. "I miss you Nagi. Christmas is going to suck without you. I thought that maybe Christmas would be better this year, but you're still unconscious..." Rima sighed, tucking her knees into her chest. "I really thought you'd be up..." Rima wiped her eyes quickly. "Every year, I spend Christmas with my parents, but it's terrible. They constantly fight and practically ignore the holiday. Even last year, they forgot to buy me a gift. It was pretty devastating. I mean, I always hated the holiday, but still... I thought Christmas would be the only thing about this stupid world that would be better than the past, but without you, I just don't even know..." Rima rested her head on his shoulder. "Wake up soon idiot. I need you." She closed her eyes, and slowly drifted off to sleep beside her unconscious boyfriend.

**December 25th**

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Yaya's screams echoed throughout the entire house, waking everyone up. Rima opened her eyes, and nearly screamed, seeing Nagihiko beside her. It took her a few minutes to realize she fell asleep beside him. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, stretching her arms. Her head still rested on his shoulder. Rima smiled softly, and nuzzled her head into his shoulder. Suddenly, the door swung open. Rima turned quickly, seeing Ikuto and Utau. Her face turned bright red.

"I-It's not what it looks like! I-I was just visiting!"

"You're entitled to, although it's a little odd to sleep beside someone unconscious," Utau pointed out. Rima's cheeks reddened. She opened her mouth to protest, but sighed, knowing it was utterly pointless.

"Why are you guys here anyway?" Rima wondered, sitting up. She got off of the bed, and glanced at the siblings.

"We wanted to spend Christmas with our cousin," Ikuto explained.

"I-I'll leave you guys alone then..." Embarrassed, Rima shuffled out of the room and quickly changed into clothing.

* * *

Yaya twirled around in the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of coffee, and drank it all rapidly. Christmas was her favorite holiday. Yaya simply adored watching the snow fall down the sky, although it wasn't as pretty mixed with the X-Energy.

"Hey Yaya!" Amu greeted, walking beside her.

"Hey Amu-Chi! Merry Christmas!"

"You too." Kukai followed Amu down the stairs, and gave Yaya a huge hug suddenly. Amu smiled softly at them.

"Come on Yaya! We have to go skiing!" Kukai announced, dragging her arm.

"Like every Christmas?" Kukai nodded.

"Hey, this whole X-Energy situation doesn't need to stop us from doing what we think is fun! I know it sucks, not being able to spend the day with our parents or real siblings, but hey, we've got each other!" Yaya nodded, hugging Kukai.

"Let's go!" Both of them waved to Amu, and exited the house. Amu watched them, smiling slightly. She was slightly envious that they had each other, while she couldn't be with Ami. She sighed remorsefully. It was the same thing for Kairi, Yukari, and Yuu along with Utau and Ikuto. At least she could spend the day with Tadase and Rima. Amu hugged her knees tightly, and sighed. She loved them, but lately, it wasn't the same with Tadase. Ever since Nagihiko was supposedly cured, Amu knew that something was growing between her and Ikuto. Tadase clearly knew this too, and he put himself distant from her because of it. He even began calling her Hinamori-San again. She suddenly heard footsteps drawing nearer to her. The short blonde hair that resembled a prince made Amu tense.

"Good morning Hinamori-San. Merry Christmas." Amu's ears perked up, hearing Tadase's voice. She sighed, and smiled at him.

"You too Tadase-Kun!" Amu allowed Tadase to sit beside her. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Do you know what Ikuto and Utau are doing for Christmas?" Tadase asked finally.

"Um... I think they were going to spend some time with Nagi, since he's their cousin and all..." Amu explained.

"Oh..." Tadase didn't look too pleased with that. Amu contemplated saying something, but she was at a loss for words.

"Hey." Rima's voice made both Amu and Tadase sigh a breath of relief.

"Hey Rima! Merry Christmas. Do you want to spend the day with us, since we're the only ones without our families?" Amu wondered.

"Yeah... I'd like that. I haven't had a pleasant Christmas in years." Rima smiled. Although slightly awkwardly, the three of them spent Christmas together.

**December 31st**

It was the last day of the year. The saying it ended with a bang was extremely applicable in this setting. The beginning of the year had begun like every year. The guardians had graduated and started Middle School, even if that lasted for one week only. Utau's career had prospered greatly. Ikuto spent some time searching for his father. Kairi had moved back and attended Seiyo once again. Almost all of them started dating, or continued. However, the year proved to be the best for Yukari and Yuu. They got engaged, married, and pregnant all in one year. The year would have been amazing, if it wasn't for the X-Virus which completely ruined their lives. Even the world around them was not the same. The X-Virus affected everyone in Yukari and Yuu's household. Those who were infected sometimes still feel paranoid every time they sneeze or cough. Yaya and Kairi still sometimes share disturbing nightmares. Obviously, the X-Virus didn't harm anyone as much as Nagihiko, who remained stagnant in his unconsciousness. He would be in for a complete shock when he woke up..._if_ he woke up.

"Guys! 10 minutes!~" Yaya screeched, running back and forth. "Yaya wants to be with all of her best friends for the first millisecond of 2013!" Everyone crowded around the tiny television screen in Nagihiko's room. Rima ran her hand through his hair, sighing. His eyes were still closed, unknowing of the tender care Rima provided.

"The concept of a new year is stupid," Utau muttered. "Besides, don't we all know this year will suck? The X-Virus ruined _everything_."

"Think positively!" Kukai told his girlfriend. He clapped his hands together. "Everyone, say your new year's resolution! Mine's to make this world back to normal!" He turned to Utau.

"Um. I don't know. I'd sure love to sing again..." Utau sighed.

"YAYA WANTS TO OPEN A CANDY SHOP!" Yaya screamed.

"Yaya, that's what you say every year..." Pepe pointed out. Yaya grinned. She turned to Kairi, awaiting his response.

"I suppose I have to concur with Souma-Kun, although the likelihood of that occurring are not quite auspicious. I suppose a more practical resolution would likely be fully understand the extent to which..."

"BLAH BLAH BLAH NO ONE CARES. YOUR TURN YUKARI-TAN!" Yaya screamed. Kairi rolled his eyes at Yaya.

"Well... I guess to be a mother..." Yukari patted her stomach.

"Yeah, mine's the same...well, being a father obviously," Yuu admitted. Tadase sighed, since it was his turn.

"I...I would like to restore old friendships," Tadase grumbled. Amu looked away, unsure if he was speaking about her. Ikuto crossed his arms.

"Well, although it's probably similar to my idiotic uncle, I would like to find my father," Ikuto muttered. He turned to Amu, smirking seductively. "I bet you want to be my girlfriend."

"N-no!" Amu exclaimed loudly. "You pervert!" Amu sighed. "Well, I would really like to be with my sister again and my parents. Of course, I'd love Nagi to wake up too..." Amu glanced over at her closest friend.

"I think you all know what I'll say," Rima muttered. "Well, other than him, I actually want the opposite of Amu. I know this world sucks, but I much prefer spending time with you guys then my parents." Everyone turned to her in pity.

"Everyone shh! It's the countdown!" Everyone watched on the TV, as it was below a minute away before the new year. "5! 4! 3!" Yaya turned to Kairi, and leaned closer to him. "2! 1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Yaya kissed Kairi suddenly, taking everyone by complete surprise, including him. It lasted a few minutes, before Yaya broke apart.

"FIRST KISS OF THE YEAR!" Yaya screamed loudly. "HAHAHA WE BEAT ALL OF YOU COUPLES! HA! HA! TAKE THAT! ETERNAL LOVE! BOOYAH!"

"I really wish I had a say in this..." Kairi murmured.

"Yaya. That was way too long. You're too young," Kukai reprimanded.

"Comes from Mr. Make-out session every day." Kukai blushed. "Besides, Yaya doesn't want her first conversation with Kukai to be scolding. HAPPY NEW YEAR!" They performed their handshake.

"Okay, it's midnight now and I'm tired." Rima yawned to prove her point.

**February 14th**

El floated around the house, smiling immensely. Her smile was impossible to remove from her face. She twirled around, high on her happiness. Today was the best day of the year in her mind. However, Utau's other chara begged to differ. Il groaned, watching in disgust as El danced around the house.

"Stop!" Il yelled angrily, resting her chin on her fist.

"Cheer up Il; it's Valentine's Day!" El reassured, twirling again.

"Valentine's Day is stupid! Everyone is so freaking cheerful!" Il whined.

"Well, love makes _everyone _cheerful!"

"Love is stupid!"

"No!~ Be happy!"

"I just don't get why Valentine's Day exists to celebrate love, when there isn't a day to celebrate hatred! It's not fair!"

"Il, there's a very good reason that doesn't exist." Both charas glanced up, seeing Utau walk towards them. She wore an orange-creme sweater over a white tank top along with pink jeans. Her hair was tied into an orange plaid cap.

"Good morning Utau-Chan!" El greeted kindly. "Happy Valentine's Day! Are you planning something to do with Kukai-Kun today?"

"Frankly, I have to agree with Il about my opinions of this holiday," Utau admitted. El looked absolutely horrified while Il chuckled loudly. "However, Kukai appreciates this holiday, so reluctantly, I'll go along with those corny traditions to please him."

"That's so cute!~" El swooned.

"You shouldn't appease to him!" Il warned.

"I'm not appeasing; I'm merely being nice to him for one day opposed to my usual mean side," Utau pointed out.

"HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!" Utau turned, facing the other pigtailed girl in the house. Yaya grinned, twirling similarly to El.

"Yaya, why do you have to scream for every holiday?" Utau wondered, sighing. "Everyone is probably ready to kill you."

"Because it's fun!" Yaya exclaimed. "Besides, Kairi-Kun needs to move his butt to be with Yaya today!"

"Go to hell." They turned, facing Rima. She was still wrapped in her blankets, and glared intently at Yaya.

"MORNIN' RIMZY!" Yaya greeted. Kukai and Yaya had both recently developed that nickname for her. "IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY!"

"Don't remind me," Rima grumbled. "It is the stupidest holiday ever."

"I know right?!" Il exclaimed. El smacked Il. Utau rolled her eyes.

"It's not like couples even ever last. Young couples rarely get married, and 1/3 of couples get a divorce, not even taking account for those couples that endlessly fight. Besides, eventually everyone will die anyway, so your love won't last."

"Well, that's definitely a positive outlook." Before Utau could blink, Kukai wrapped his arms around her. "Happy V-Day, my love," Kukai whispered in her ear.

"Your love?" Utau inquired. Kukai smirked in response, and kissed her cheek. Yaya made gagging noises, and Rima groaned loudly.

"Love is a beautiful thing!" El exclaimed.

"No, it's not. It never happens. Love is bound to fail," Rima muttered. El shot her an angry glare. It didn't take long for the others to gather. Kairi walked towards Yaya, and held her hand gingerly. Ikuto was carrying Amu bridal style, leaving Tadase to glare angrily. Yukari and Yuu smiled at everyone, standing beside each other. One would have to be blind to not realize Yukari was pregnant at this point, since she was eight months in.

"What's everyone doing today?" Amu asked cheerfully, having been put down by Ikuto.

"Yaya and Kairi-Kun are going to the candy store!" Yaya grinned, linking her arm through Kairi's arm.

"...We are?" Kairi wondered. Yaya nodded viciously.

"Utau and I have to do a ramen eating challenge," Kukai announced, smirking at Utau. Utau smiled, sighing a breath of relief.

"I was hoping you wouldn't say anything corny. I'm in."

"Hey, the corny stuff is later."

"Yuu and I are going to go out for a bit. I don't feel too great today, but we'll do a bit," Yukari pointed out.

"I have some... important things to take care of. Hope you don't mind if I leave you, my strawberry." Amu rolled her eyes at Ikuto. He glanced at Utau, who nodded slowly. After kissing Amu's cheek (much to Tadase's distress), he exited the house.

"H-Hey Hinamori-San... I-I was wondering if y-you wanted to do something today?" Tadase asked nervously. Amu turned to Tadase, and smiled kindly.

"Of course! Hey, you can call me Amu-Chan like before you know." Tadase smiled. "We'll have fun! It will be nice to do something, you know, as friends!" Tadase frowned, and nodded slowly.

"Are you all done yet?" Rima wondered, hugging her blanket closer to her. Everyone looked at her.

"Are you still in your pajamas Rimzy?" Kukai wondered.

"I have no intentions of leaving the house today," Rima muttered. "Well, if you are all are going to continue your love fest, then I'm leaving." Kairi studied her, pity evident in his eyes.

"Rima, don't be so down!" Amu reassured. "It's Valentine's Day."

"Hence my bad mood," Rima murmured. "Valentine's Day sucks. It's only a time to celebrate-"

"Yeah yeah we get it!" El muttered. "You're wrong!" Rima rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm done here. Adios." Rima stood up, and walked to her room. The others watched her, pity in their eyes.

* * *

Rima collapsed onto her bed, and sighed dramatically. Ever since the first Valentine's Day after her kidnapping, she had a strong detestation for the holiday. It always hurt her that her parents would argue during the most romantic holiday. February was Rima's least favorite month. Not only was it Valentine's Day, but her birthday occurred too. Just eight days ago, she had been acting the same way but not quite as grumpy. Her friends had purchased her presents despite being short on money. It had been one of the first times she recently got presents for her birthday. Her parents even forgot about it every other year they spend the day together.

"Rima, don't ruin the others' happiness. I know today sucks for you, but the others are blissful!" Kusu-Kusu pointed out.

"What's the point? It's not even likely they'll be in love forever. Why should they have those stupid grins plastered across their face, while I lie her stifling tears?" Rima shook slightly. "Is the point of this holiday just to taunt me, mock me for my parents' hatred?" Kusu-Kusu didn't respond. Rima sighed, and threw a pillow into her face. She never thought Valentine's Day could get worse then how it was. She thought it might be better since she wasn't even with her parents, but it only got worse. She could care less that she was single. Even if all of her other friends were dating and not her, she would have been annoyed at their blissfulness, but it wouldn't have effected her. It was the mere fact that she had a boyfriend who had been in a coma for four months and had no idea if he would survive, that managed to make to worsen Rima's opinions of the holiday she utterly loathed.

"Are you hungry?" Kusu-Kusu asked, breaking the silence. Rima shook her head. The silence remained for another hour, before Rima finally pushed herself out of bed, and exited her room. Kusu-Kusu followed, sighing. She shoved open the door to Nagihiko's room, and sat on his bed. Rima might have cared that her hair was an absolute disaster, if Nagihiko could actually see it.

"I hate this holiday," Rima grumbled, sighing. "I didn't come here to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day, and I wouldn't have even if you were conscious. You probably wouldn't have either, or maybe you would have just to taunt me." Rima curled her legs into her chest. "Wake up soon idiot. I miss you. Y-You're the only one who actually understands me, besides Kusu-Kusu. The others...T-They just..." Tears formed in Rima's eyes, but she worked hard to prevent them. "Nagi, don't die. I-I want you to wake up soon, but if you can't, even if it takes years, j-just please don't die." Rima stood up, and smiled weakly at him before leaving. She went back onto her bed, and collapsed again.

"Hey Kusu-Kusu... you can do something fun instead of watching me. I have no intentions of moving," Rima pointed out.

"You sure Rima?" Rima nodded slowly. Kusu-Kusu gave her a quick smile, before floating away. Rima hugged her pillow tightly, and sighed dramatically.

* * *

Amu and Tadase sat at a park, watching the vacancy of it. Normally, the park was always such a crowded place, but lately, it was abandoned.

"Hinamori-San, err, Amu-Chan, would you like some ice-cream?" Tadase asked, breaking the silence. Amu looked at him, astonished.

"You know we're limited in money," Amu exclaimed. "We can't waste it on some snack."

"It's alright. I want to spend it for you, for Valentine's Day."

"Tadase-Kun..."

"Amu-Chan, do you still love me?" Amu gulped. She turned her head away from him. "I don't know, or I don't _want_ to know what's happening with you and Ikuto-NiiSan, but does that mean you've stopped caring about me?" Amu took a deep breath, but didn't reply. Tadase's eyes darkened. "I get it." He stood up abruptly. Amu glanced at him, only to see the despair in his eyes.

"Tadase-Kun, wait, please. I-I just..." He held up his hand to silence her.

"There's nothing to be said, I guess..." He started to walk away.

"Tadase-Kun! I care about you as a friend, but..."

"That's not what I meant!" Tadase snapped, acting out of character. "I loved, rather, _love_ you, but I guess it cannot be reciprocated any longer. If all you see in me is just some friend, then why do I even bother?" He sighed angrily, and walked away, leaving Amu to herself.

* * *

"I was wondering when you'd come and see me." Ikuto sighed, sitting down. The huge planetarium always served as a safe haven for Ikuto. "I have something of yours." The tall, brown-haired man walked towards him, and handed Ikuto his violin case with his violin contained.

"How did you find this?" Ikuto asked, surprised.

"Gravatus was holding it for a special occasion. I hope he won't notice that I happened to steal it," Tsukasa winked. Ikuto placed the case on his back.

"Well, I'm here to-"

"I know why you are here Ikuto-Kun," Tsukasa interrupted. He glanced up at the ceiling of the planetarium. "It is only a matter of time before he comes. He has seen all of the signals sent by his brother, yet he is still unaware of what truly has occurred."

"Where is he?" Ikuto demanded.

"I do not know that, but I can guarantee he will be coming, within the year."

"Within the year?!" Ikuto exclaimed. "Your fortune skills are worsening." Tsukasa chuckled.

"Or, perhaps the world is harder to read. But no matter, it will only get worse." Ikuto turned to him. "Your odds may seem bleak now, but hope will be born soon. However, is hope really what you need? Or is it misguiding? That, my friend, is up to you." Ikuto sighed.

"Is that all?" Ikuto wondered, sighing.

"As dark as the sky may seem now, it will only darken more."

"So, you're basically saying that we're stuck like this forever."

"No, not at all. When you look at the sky, do you still see stars?" Ikuto nodded slowly. Tsukasa's eyes twinkled. Ikuto sighed, and left the planetarium. "Ikuto. Hold what is most dear to you close." Ikuto shrugged, and left, carrying his violin on his back

**March 25th**

Kairi ate his breakfast in solitude, enjoying the tranquility around him. It was seldom that he received silence, considering he was dating the loudest girl. However, her and Kukai had gone out together to collect the groceries. Lately, no one quite knew where Ikuto or Utau went. It was just him, Yukari, Yuu, Amu, and Rima home, and they were all being silent.

"Silence is quite refreshing," Musashi observed. Kairi nodded slowly in agreement. That silence was quickly broken by the steps of his sister climbing down the stairs. Her face was as pale as a ghost.

"Yukari, are you alright?" Kairi asked, concerned. She nodded slowly.

"Um... I-I..."

"Yukari?"

"I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure my water just broke..." Kairi's eyes widened. "Oh ouch! That was a kick!"

"We need to bring you to the hospital," Kairi stated, taking initiative. "Yuu!" Yuu came running down the stairs, hearing the urgency in Kairi's voice. "Yukari speculates her water just broke."

"Oh my god, now?!" Yuu exclaimed. He recomposed himself. "I-I'll get the car ready." He grabbed his keys, and headed out the door. Yukari wobbled after him, looking utterly petrified.

"What's wrong?" Amu and Rima stood behind Kairi, worry across their faces. Kairi explained what happened.

"Oh my god!" Amu squealed, excited.

"We'll come too," Rima announced.

"Are you certain?" Kairi asked. The two girls nodded. Kairi led them to the car, and they all got in. Yuu started the car, and immediately drove them to the hospital.

* * *

**That, my lovely readers, is the bonus chapter. I hope you all enjoyed! Yes, the beginning of Umbrageous Universe will take place during those events, so I even included a cliffhanger in a bonus chapter. March 25th is slightly more than one week from today, so that's the date I am hoping to have the chapter up by. What's going to happen in Umbrageous Universe? What did Tsukasa's analysis mean? Why is everyone so keen on saving money? Where are their parents? What's wrong with Nagi? Most of all, what actually happened? I hope these questions are running through your mind, and I promise, they will all be answered (most of them in the first chapter actually). Please review and alert me to be aware of the next update for UU! **


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